Soundscape
by SanadaSayuri
Summary: He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

**Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**Prologue**

Two figures stood on the water, chakra gathered in their hands, one as a swirling sphere of wind, and the other as a handful of electricity. The two leapt toward one another…

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

The two clashed, as they pumped chakra into their attacks, struggling to overwhelm the other.

"Don't go to him, Sasuke…" Naruto growled. "There is nothing that Orochimaru can give that Konoha cannot."

"I will gain power!" Sasuke yelled, "I will kill my brother!"

Naruto stiffened. Sasuke took advantage of the blonde's slight dropping of his guard and thrust his hand through the boy's chest. Naruto's eyes widened in shock and his lips parted as blood spilled from his chest. He could feel his heart trying to beat around his friend and rival's hand. Blood rushed up his throat and out his mouth.

Kakashi rushed through the forest, his breath heavy, fear running through his veins. _Kami-sama, don't let me be too late… Naruto… Please be alright…_

The silver haired jounin burst through the cover of the forest in time to see the dark haired boy thrust a fistful of electricity through the chest of the orange clad boy. Kakashi froze and saw, as if in slow motion, as Naruto coughed up blood and Sasuke roughly pushed away the blonde and stepped back, his eyes fixed on the jounin.

"NARUTOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"

Kakashi finally regained use of his limbs as Naruto began to fall. He darted forward, ignoring the Uchiha as he caught the boy before he hit the ground.

"Naruto!" Kakashi cried, kneeling as he cradled the dying boy.

Naruto felt the world dimming around him, and he fixed his fading sight on the anguished face of the one eyed man above him.

"Ka…ka…shi…" he whispered.

"Don't die, Naruto!" Kakashi cried, "You still have to become Hokage!"

"Ho… ka…ge? Sou ka…" Naruto smiled painfully. "Gomen… Kakashi… I can't keep… my promise…"

"No!" Kakashi said, his voice thick with emotion. "Don't talk… Save your strength, Naruto… You'll be alright…"

Naruto's eyes closed slowly and he whispered, "Aishiteru… Kakashi…"

"No… You'll be alright…" Kakashi whispered. "Naruto…"

The boy stopped breathing and Kakashi felt something in him break. He felt something large and thick ball up in the middle of his chest. It rolled upward, threatening to smother him, then exploded out of his mouth, voiced in a sob. He fell forward and buried his face in the blonde's shoulder and cried, deep racking sobs that shook his entire being.

"Naruto… Y-y-you pro-promised… You promised me that you wouldn't die! NARUTOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Unnoticed by the grief-stricken jounin, Sasuke vanished into the forest with a silver haired traitor…

_He was drifting in the darkness…_

_Where was he?_

"_Aishiteru, Naruto-kun, aishiteru…"_

"_Aishiteru, Kakashi…"_

_What…_

"_Nng!" His back arched as Kakashi's hand closed around him. "K-K-Kakashi…"_

"_I love you, Uzumaki Naruto…" Kakashi whispered as he thrust into him. "I'll love you forever…"_

_Why was he remembering this?_

"_Promise me. Promise me that you won't die."_

"_I promise."_

_Kakashi smiled and tugged his mask off and captured his lips in a bruising kiss._

"_Thank you…" he murmured when they emerged for air._

_That's right…_

_He had broken his promise…_

_He had died…_

_Even after he had promised Kakashi that he wouldn't…_

"_B-b-bring him b-b-back Naruto! P-p-please… You're the only one who can bring Sasuke-kun back!"_

"_I'll bring him back! It's a promise of a lifetime!"_

_He had even broken his promise to Sakura…_

_So he was dead…_

_The darkness consumed him and he remembered no more…_

Cerulean eyes opened to look at a familiar ceiling.

"Tadashii… yume des ka?"

_It was so real… Could it have only been a dream?_

His hand fisted his pajamas above his heart.

_If it was only a dream… Then why does my heart hurt?_

He frowned as he felt something odd under his pajama top. Naruto stripped it off and stared in shock. There on his chest was a large scar, with several lines extending from it.

He recognized the damage immediately.

_Chidori…_

_Could it be? Could it possibly be that it was not a dream at all?_

He stood up and walked over to the mirror and stared at his reflection. He smiled suddenly.

_If it wasn't a dream, and I'm not dead… If I really am in the past, then I can change everything!_


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**Chapter 1: Changes**

Naruto chose to make the first change in the events to come by writing everything down and sealing the scroll before placing it inside his desk drawer with a low level genjutsu on it. Being a Hunter-nin and having the infamous Copy-nin for a lover, he mused, sometimes had its perks…

_Ahh… But he's not your lover just yet is he? _A malicious voice in the back of his mind murmured.

Naruto shook his head. No, the Kakashi of this time saw him only as the lonely orphan who played pranks and was an absolute idiot, and occasionally dropped by to check on him when he was asleep, feeling that he owed it to his late sensei to watch over his son. It was only after Kakashi had, by chance, found the Hunter-nin mask that Naruto had foolishly forgotten to put away on his nightstand when he was 10, when he had first become an apprentice Hunter, which changed the jounin's impression of him.

_**---**"Kyuubi vessel or not… If Orochimaru were to place a seal on Sasuke… I don't think that even the Kyuubi's chakra can compete with Orochimaru's curse seal…"**---**_

It had the first time he had spoken out of turn when in uniform when the Sandaime had told him that there was a high chance of Orochimaru taking advantage of the chunnin exams to capture Sasuke. They had just gotten back from Wave Country, and he had just turned thirteen several hours before…

He completed the genjutsu, anchoring it to the scroll before turning a speculative gaze on the wall. Maybe… maybe if he started now, he could get his control down. It wouldn't be up to the level he had enjoyed before he came, but it would be a start. After all, Kurogane Kenpu was a useful jutsu, one that required, at the very least, a high chunin level of chakra control.

He ran toward the wall…

The years passed, and Naruto grinned as he sat primly in the back of the classroom, waiting for his turn to take the genin exams. Everything had gone according to plan. Well, except for his becoming an apprentice Hunter-nin at the age of 10, instead, he had been nominated and accepted at 7. Currently, he was a fully fledged Hunter-nin, and despite the slight deviation from the previous timeline, he had not left out his Hunter-nin mask the night before he turned 10 for Kakashi to find. It was better this way, he thought, so maybe Kakashi wouldn't be so devastated if something were to happen to him.

"Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto leapt up and darted into the adjoining room. "I'll pass this time, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka smiled. "Ok, Naruto, three bushin."

Naruto made the seal and purposely pumped too much chakra into the technique and yelled, "Bushin no jutsu!"

As expected, six clones popped out mutated and dead looking. Iruka's eye twitched and he roared, "YOU FAIL!!!!"

Naruto sat on the swing set; waiting expectantly for what he knew would be coming. Mizuki did not disappoint him. "Naruto," Mizuki said, appearing behind him.

Iruka stood at the doorway watching as the students greeted and were praised by their parents. His eyes were drawn toward the downcast figure straddling the swing set near by.

"Iruka," the Hokage said.

Iruka started slightly before nodding to the Hokage. "Hai?"

"I will need to speak with you later," the Sandaime said.

"Hai," Iruka responded. He looked over at the swing set once more, to find the swing empty and swaying slightly in the soft wind.

"Naruto... Don't blame Iruka-sensei. He sees himself in you, you know, and he wants you to become stronger. Try to understand his feelings, since you both don't have any parents," Mizuki said in a gentle voice.

Naruto looked up to see Mizuki studying him sadly. The irony of what the silver haired traitor just said sickened Naruto, but he restrained himself from saying anything.

"Demo..." Here the traitor smiled, "I can tell you a special secret to get you to graduate."

Night fell, and Naruto sat in the forest, a copy of the forbidden scroll hidden carefully in a hole inside a nearby tree, covered in a genjutsu. He was sitting there, going through an advanced medical jutsu that was second in the scroll. The trees rustled and a ripple of chakra reached Naruto's senses. The blonde grinned and rolled up the scroll and stood up, waiting expectantly for Iruka to arrive.

"NA-RU-TO!!!" the chunin yelled, dropping from the trees.

"Heheh… I've found you, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said happily.

"You idiot! I found _you_!" Iruka yelled.

"Same difference!" Naruto grinned. Internally, he grimaced. Just the way he was acting was enough to make him sick. "Ano sa, ano sa, Iruka-sensei! If I show you the jutsu I learned, you'll pass me right?"

Iruka paused, looking confused. "What?"

Naruto's smile widened, "Mizuki-sensei said that if I showed you a jutsu from this scroll, you would let me pass! He even told me about where the scroll was and about this place too. Well, Iruka-sensei? Am I a genin now or what?"

"Mizuki said?" Iruka's eyes widened in comprehension. "Naruto!" Iruka shoved the boy aside only to hit the wall of the shack behind them, several kunai in his arms and legs.

"I'm impressed that you found this place.. Iruka-sensei."

"Mizuki.. _NOW I UNDERSTAND!_"

"Naruto.. Give me the scroll." said Mizuki

"NARUTO GUARD THAT SCROLL WITH YOUR LIFE! IT HAS POWERFUL TECHNIQUES THAT THE PREVIOUS HOKAGE SEALED WITHIN, MIZUKI USED YOU TO GET IT FOR HIMSELF!!!"

"Naruto, don't listen to Iruka-sensei" Mizuki calmly said, "He's lying to you. He doesn't want you to have the scroll to become stronger. Because he's of what you'll become."

"What...what are you talking about, Mizuki?"

"Naruto.. Do you want to hear the about the incident that happened twelve years ago?"

"_NO! DON'T!_"

"You're the fox demon!" Mizuki said, "You're the one who killed Iruka's parents!" Chuckling, he removed one of his shuriken and threw it at Naruto.

'_Damn! I gotta get away! I gotta get away!_' Naruto thought as he was trying to dodge the attack. His chakra had been depleted by the earlier training that he done, and he was unable to move his body fast enough.

"Naruto.."

Naruto looked up to see Iruka standing over him, protecting him from Mizuki's weapon. "Naruto..I'm sorry… I understand how you feel… That pain of loneliness…. Of isolation… I know that I been hard on you, Naruto... I know now how that must've hurt you. If I had only been a better teacher…. A better person…." 

Naruto could only stare at Iruka speechless, remembering how the first time he felt the warm of Iruka words. That this moment was the beginning of his acknowledgement. And for that he was forever grateful to Iruka-sensei. '_I have to protect him!_' he said to himself.

"DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" Mizuki said. 

Naruto thought. '_I have to lead Mizuki away from Iruka-sensei…_' He glanced at Iruka for a moment, before running away from him. He could hear Iruka desperately calling him back, and he felt a twinge in his heart for supposedly leaving him behind.

Naruto vanished into the trees, and followed from a distance as Iruka used Henge to become him and make a log look like the scroll while Mizuki chased Iruka in a henge of Iruka. (A/N: did anyone get that? cause I'm totally confused here…XD)

"Iruka-sensei, don't you realize that the demon within him hungers for that kind of power?" Mizuki said, "You were right to be afraid of him…" 

"Hai.."

A victorious smile spread across Mizuki face.

"Perhaps I would hate him... If he was the fox demon!" Iruka stated confiently, "And since he isn't… All I have is nothing but respect for him. He's an excellent student. A bit clumsy, and an outcast, but he works with all his might!" Iruka smiled, "Because of that… It gave him empathy, and with that he knows what it is like to feel pain. He's no longer the fox demon. _He's Uzumaki Naruto!_ A proud citizen of the Konoha Village!" 

'_Damnit Iruka-sensei, stuff like that always gets to me…_' Thought Naruto, wiping his tears from his face. '_You tell that idiot what it means to be a true Konoha Shinobi!_' 

"Huh! That very sentimental, Iruka-sensei" said Mizuki, "Since I couldn't persuade you to see my reasons. I have no choice but to kill you." He unhooked his second shuriken, "I know, I know. I said that I would kill you later. But sometimes fate goes against you, you know?"

'_So.. This is it…_' Thought Iruka.

Mizuki prepared to throw his shuriken and Naruto leapt from his hiding place, and lashed out, kicking across Mizuki's surprised face. The impact of Naruto's attack caused Mizuki to lose his balance and collapse.

"You little brat…" Mizuki hissed.

"DON'T TOUCH IRUKA-SENSEI," Naruto snarled, "OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

"I'll like to see you try that…" Mizuki replied maliciously, "I'll kill you in one blow!"

"I'll return it a thousand-fold!" Naruto replied, forming a cross seal. "_KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!_" 

Naruto molded his chakra and in a poof of smoke, thousands of clones filled the forest. "You were saying, Mizuki-sensei?" 

'_Naruto… amazing he was able to perform a high level ninjutsu. The Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, an advance ninjutsu that create actually body solid clones instead of shadowed illusion._' thought Iruka as he watched the event unfold.

With a simultaneous yell, the Kage Bushin leaped on Mizuki who screamed in shock and terror. When Naruto was satisfied, he released the technique. When the smoke cleared, a twitching Mizuki was revealed to be lying unconscious on the forest floor, beaten into a bloody pulp.

Naruto turned to Iruka, panting slightly from the strain. "Well?" he asked, grinning, "Do I pass?"

Iruka took a moment to get over his shock and smiled. "Come here Naruto, and close your eyes." Naruto blinked and closed his eyes. "Okay! You can open your eyes now!" Iruka said happily.

Naruto opened his eyes to see a happy looking Iruka with his goggles in his hand. "Congratulations, Naruto. You pass."

Naruto felt himself getting teary eyed and he leapt forward, hugging Iruka. Iruka smiled affectionately at his student as he returned the hug.

_You're growing up very well, Naruto, _Iruka thought. _Your life from this point on will be difficult, but you'll rise above it as you have the hardships of your life. It won't be long before you achieve your dreams, Naruto, I have no doubt about it._

A single masked shinobe stood on the roof of the Hokage no Dairi, the Hokage Palace, with his arms crossed over his chest in the early morning. The light of the rising sun reflected off the white porcelain mask and the silver armor and arm guards of the shinobe. A light breeze blew, ruffling short, spiky golden locks. Cerulean eyes watched as the sun rose above the Hokage monument, and leapt off the roof, freefalling for a brief moment before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

The hour hand on the clock touched ten and Iruka strolled in. "Hello, graduates! This day is very special for you all because..."

Naruto didn't hear the rest of the speech, too busy thinking about the events of the night before.

"Alright then! Your teams!" Iruka began reading out the names of each of the teams.

Naruto glanced up once as Iruka read off the names for Team 7, his eyes misting over slightly as he thought of what their team had to go through, and how they would break. Naruto shook his head. No, Team 7 wouldn't break. He wouldn't allow it. He had been given a second chance, and he refused to allow it to slip through his fingers.

Naruto sat on the windowsill, his hands forming seals, though he didn't mold any chakra. His eyes were distant as he thought back to the first time he had met Kakashi, openly, at least… Would it be like before? No, the blonde shook his head mentally, nothing would be like it had been in the past.

"He's late!" Sakura snapped.

Naruto sighed. "It's been four hours; it's more than likely that our prospective jounin-sensei is Hatake Kakashi. He's known for four things, student of the Yondaime, an obsession with a certain orange book, and always at least two hours late for everything."

"You said four things," Sakura said, "But you only named three."

Naruto sighed. "The fourth thing that he is known for… It is a formidable asset to him, the tensai son of the White Fang… It gained him the name Copy-nin Kakashi. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it is, but I know that it exists."

The door opened, and a head of silver hair poked in. _Kakashi… _Naruto squashed the thought and arranged his features in an impassive mask, tucking his emotions into the back of his mind.

"Ahh… A fangirl, a brooder, and a troublemaker… Well, let's meet on the roof."

Naruto stood on the roof, leaning against the railings, staring out over the village, which shone gold, brown and red under the noon sun.

_**---**"It's beautiful isn't it?" Naruto smiled under his mask. "This is why I became a Hunter as young as I did. No matter how cruel the village is to me, there are good people here, people who deserve to live and see the next sunrise."_

_Kakashi leaned on the railing beside him. "Oh? When did you come up with that?"_

"_Contrary to popular belief, I'm not as large a fool as people think. It's not my place to pass judgment on these people. Whatever punishment they deserve, they will get when they arrive in Yomi." Naruto pulled off his mask and smiled at Kakashi. "In the end, this is the place where I chose to live, where I found the people that are precious to me. There is no other place I would rather be, Kakashi, than here in this village, with you by my side."_

"_Naruto…" Kakashi's eyes misted over. He pulled down his facemask and captured Naruto's lips with his own.**---**_

The blonde shook his head furiously, pushing the memory to the back of his mind. No, this time, things would be different, he would distance himself, so should he die fighting Sasuke again, Kakashi would only mourn a student, rather than a lover. It would hurt, but the person that this change would hurt most, would be Naruto himself. If it would protect his precious people, then he would suffer for all eternity if it was necessary. He squared his shoulders and joined Sakura and Sasuke on the steps near the door.

"Well than, let's introduce ourselves, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams," Kakashi said, sitting down on the railing.

"Ano, what about you sensei?" Sakura asked.

_Game time_, Naruto thought. "Yeah, sensei, teach by example!" he yelled.

"Let's see now... My name's Hatake Kakashi. I have no desire whatsoever to tell you guys my likes and dislikes. As for dreams for the future... Well, I do have a lot of hobbies..." Kakashi glanced at Sakura. "Ok, Pinky, your turn."

**Pinky?! Pinky!!?? **Inner Sakura raged. **How dare he call us Pinky?! Shannaroooo!!!! We'll tear him to pieces!**

"I'm Haruno Sakura. I like..." she looked at Sasuke, "my hobbies are..." she looked at Sasuke again, "my dreams for the future are..." she squealed at this point.

Kakashi sighed. _Great… I'm stuck with a fangirl… _"Ok, what about you, blondie?"

Naruto fixed his eyes on a point just behind Kakashi and said, "Uzumaki Naruto. My precious people, people who threaten my precious people, seeing my precious people happy, and Hokage."

Kakashi blinked. _He's grown up to be quite interesting… _Kakashi shrugged, "How about you Mr. Brooder?"

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I have few likes and many dislikes," he looked at Sakura out of the corner of his eyes, "I have no hobbies and my... no... It's... it's not a dream. It's more of an ambition. It's to kill a certain man and resurrect my clan,"

_'An avenger,_' Kakashi groaned mentally, "Okay. Tomorrow, bring your gear. We're going to have a training session tomorrow. Survival training,"

"Ano, Kakashi-sensei, we've done plenty of survival training in the academy though," Sakura spoke up.

"It's to see which of the graduating class is worthy of becoming a genin," Kakashi replied.

"But I thought we were already genin," Sakura asked.

"No, that was to see who would be able to become a genin," Kakashi said, "just to let you know. The test you're going to take has a sixty-six point six percent chance of failing,"

"WHAT!" Sakura screamed.

Sasuke frowned while Naruto tilted his head to the side, a contemplative look on his face.

"Meet me tomorrow at training ground 7," Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"So, Sasuke, do you want to go out with me?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"No," Sasuke bluntly said as he left.

Naruto sat still for a moment longer and tilted his head back, his eyes fixed on the sky. A few minutes later, he stood off, brushed off his clothes, and left the roof.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**A/N:** Yatta! Chapter 2 complete! Sorry for the long wait! Class started a while back, and I was having a little trouble coming up with how to portray Naruto in this story. I had one hell of a time trying to keep the darker more jaded Naruto persona in Mended Hearts from seeping into this story, but thinking back, there doesn't seem to be much difference between this Naruto and the other one in Mended Hearts is there? Gah… I'm making myself confused. Anyway, read on!

**Chapter 2:** **Nostalgia**

Naruto perched in a tree near training ground 7, chewing thoughtfully on a bite of apple as he reviewed a healing technique in the copy of the Forbidden Scroll. He glanced down in time to see Sakura and Sasuke arrive, and Sakura instantly latched herself onto Sasuke. The blonde rolled his eyes and wondered why he had ever liked the girl as anything more than a friend or a sister. He finished his apple and tossed the core away and rolled up the scroll. He dropped from the tree as he tucked the scroll away into his shinobe pouch as grinned.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chyaaaan!!" he called.

Sakura huffed and turned her head away, effectively giving Naruto the cold shoulder. Naruto pretended to pout before settling down the ground and closing his eyes. There was no reason to make anyone suspicious.

Naruto smiled mentally when Sakura sat down, leaning back against him. He faintly registered Sasuke sitting down and leaning his back against their shoulders. He remembered this…

He allowed himself to relax and doze…

For a little while, all was right with the world…

For now, Team 7 was together, and their bond as a team was invincible…

For now, he was home…

Kakashi arrived near noon in a puff of smoke.

"Yo!"

"You're late!" Sakura screamed.

Kakashi's visible eye curved in a smile. "Maa… A black cat crossed my path, so I had to find another way."

"LIAR!!!" Sakura yelled.

Naruto couldn't help the slight twitching of his lips. It was just too funny, seeing how Sakura made a fool of herself without him to take on the position as the epicenter of the silliness.

Kakashi studied his students and his eyes were drawn to the blonde. He raised an eyebrow when he saw a flicker of amusement and wistfulness in the cerulean eyes. As quickly as the slight flash of emotion appeared, it vanished behind a joyful twinkle containing the mischievousness of a prankster and a child. The Copy-nin couldn't help but wonder about the emotion he had just seen, but filed it away in the recesses of his mind to look over later.

He placed an alarm clock on a stump and set the alarm. "Yosh… This alarm is set to go off at noon," he said. "Your mission is to retrieve these," Kakashi held up two bells. "Whoever gets a bell, passes."

"But there are only two bells," Sakura said.

Kakashi smiled. "Precisely. Only two can pass, or all three of you will fail. You will want to come at me with the intent to kill, or you will never get the bells."

"But you'll get hurt!" Sakura said, horrified.

Kakashi's eye curved in a smile. "Don't worry about that. Begin when I say so." He paused, and watched as the three genin tensed, watching him expectantly, and feeling rather stupid, said, "Ah… right… begin."

And the genin leapt apart and vanished. Kakashi smiled under his mask. The children had hidden themselves well; even Naruto, despite the garishly bright orange jumpsuit, was well hidden.

Naruto formed a bushin and sent it out, a wry smile on his lips as he thought of Kakashi's prized "Sennen Goroshi". The first time he had been caught in the attack had been mortifying, although considering the nature of the silver haired jounin; he should have been expecting Kakashi to pull something extremely loose and silly against a so called dead-last

Of course, back in his previous life, he had been too absorbed in the mission the Sandaime had given to him. He had been trying so hard to find ways to keep Sasuke in Konoha and to keep Orochimaru at a distance from the last Uchiha that he had never noticed Kakashi's eyes on him until just before their mission to Wave Country, and by then, it had been too late. Well, not quite, but the time the two had together had been far too short, especially if one considered that he had gotten killed two months after the beginning of their relationship.

Swiftly, he moved through the trees toward where he predicted Sasuke to be hiding. If he could just get the stubborn Uchiha to work with him, Sakura was bound to follow like the love struck puppy that she was. He paused. Sakura _would_ follow, if she wasn't knocked out in the process.

His lips twitched slightly as he felt the bushin being dispelled, and resumed his movement through the forest. Moments later, a shrill, feminine scream split the air, and Naruto rolled his eyes, having lived through it before. Trust Sakura to fall for a genjutsu that involved Sasuke. He shook his head and changed his path back toward the clearing. Kakashi would have already confronted Sasuke by now, so there really wasn't any point in continuing. If anything, Sasuke was too proud to accept help, and Sakura was totally stuck on the Uchiha. All he had to do was set up the foundation for teamwork…

Naruto and Sasuke sat on the ground, an unconscious Sakura tied to a pole in between them while Kakashi stood in front of them, leaning against the memorial stone, reading his book.

Moments later, Sakura woke up, screaming, "Sasuke-kun!"

She blinked, looked around, and hung her head in shame.

"Well then," Kakashi said lightly, looking up from his book, "None of you have to go back to the academy."

Naruto shook his head as Sasuke smirked in satisfaction, and Sakura practically beamed in joy.

You should quit being ninja."

Sasuke's shoulders stiffened and Sakura's jaw dropped. "What!?" she screeched. (Naruto winced in the background, rubbing his ears.)

"That's right. You should quit as ninja. None of you got the meaning behind the test."

"Teamwork," Naruto said promptly.

Kakashi glanced at Naruto. "Pardon?"

"This test," the blond said, "It's supposed to promote teamwork."

Kakashi's eye curved in a smile. "Correct."

"But there were only two bells!" Sakura protested. "Either way, one of us was going to fail!"

"True, but the true meaning behind the test was to promote teamwork, to see who would be willing to sacrifice themselves for the others," Kakashi said calmly. He turned his gaze on the blonde. "Naruto, if you knew the meaning behind the test, then why didn't you try to work with the others?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sasuke is the self-centered avenger type. He would refuse the help, saying that we would drag him down. Sakura wouldn't work with me even if you paid her unless Sasuke agreed to work with me first. She is completely fixated on him. One way or another, teamwork isn't an option in this team unless someone sets something up to manipulate us all into working together, if indirectly."

Kakashi put away his book and said calmly, "I'll give you guys a second chance after lunch. Naruto, Sasuke, don't give Sakura any food. If you do, all three of you automatically fail."

With that, Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke.

Naruto sighed and stood up, and began cutting away the rope tying Sakura to the log.

"What are you doing idiot!?" Salura yelled. "You're going to get Sasuke-kun into trouble!"

Naruto rolled his eyes for what felt like the millionth time that day. "Kakashi-sensei never said anything about untying you, besides, you'll only drag our team down if you're all cramped up."

Sasuke snorted and handed his bento to Sakura.

The kunoichi stared at the Uchiha. "Sasuke-kun?"

"The dobe has a point," Sasuke grumbled. "You'll drag us all down with you if you faint from hunger."

Sakura's eyes began to water. "Sasuke-kun…"

There was a sudden blast of smoke and Kakashi emerged, his masked face like a thundercloud. "You three!" his face lost all menace and his eye curved as he smiled. "Pass!"

Naruto sighed, and smiled. Sasuke smirked in satisfaction while Sakura laughed and latched onto Sasuke's arm.

"Your training begins tomorrow at 7:00 AM," Kakashi said, straightening, and he vanished in a puff of smoke.

Naruto stood there and nodded in satisfaction as Sasuke left, Sakura still latched onto his arm, and chattering a mile a minute.

"Stage one complete," he murmured. "Now comes that hard part…"

He walked away as a single dark eye watched him from the trees. Kakashi dropped to the ground after Naruto vanished, and frowned.

_What does he mean by "stage one complete"?_ _Naruto… What are you hiding?_


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

A/N: Happy Birthday to me! Today, I am officially 18, and since I'm in a good mood, here's an update for you all!!!! V

**Chapter 3: Waves**

Naruto was reading a scroll on Suiton Jutsu as Team 7 stood before the Hokage.

"Let's see," the Sandaime muttered, "We have a mission to help the herbalist weed her garden, chase the Fire Lord's Wife's cat, baby-sit the Fujikawa twins…"

Naruto paused and rolled up the jutsu scroll and slipped it into his pouch before saying, "Enough D-ranks, Sandaime-jiji."

"Naruto!!!" Iruka roared, "Show more respect to the Hokage!"

"Naruto," the Sandaime said calmly, "You should know that all missions are ranked accordingly, and are given to shinobe according to their abilities. As genin, the D-rank missions allow you to learn to work together as a unit, so when you do go out for a c-rank, you have a higher chance of staying alive."

"I'm aware of that, Hokage-sama," Naruto said, his head tilted downward so his bangs hid his eyes, earning himself surprised looks from various people in the room, "However the abilities of Team 7 are wasted on d-rank missions. We became adults the moment we received our hitae-ate, and as shinobe of Konoha, it is our duty to grow stronger in order to serve our village."

_Naruto… _Sakura thought, surprised and awed.

_He's grown very well… _Kakashi thought, watching his student from behind his book.

_Naruto… _Iruka thought, pride swelling in his chest. _You've matured… I'm proud of you, Naruto…_

Naruto raised his head suddenly, meeting the Hokage's eyes. "Let us test our strength and our growth, Hokage-sama! Please give us a C-rank mission!"

Sandaime smiled. _Let's see how much you've matured then, Naruto… _"Very well," the Sandaime picked up a scroll labeled with a C. "You will receive an escort mission. I will introduce you…"

The door slid open and a man walked in, carrying a sake bottle. "I am Tazuna, the super bridge builder. Are these really ninja?" the man said arrogantly. "They look like a bunch of useless kids. Especially the midget over there."

Naruto twitched. He could practically smell the vast quantity of sake that the man had consumed from where he stood.

"On the contrary, Tazuna-san," Naruto said amiably, "this 'midget' has been trained to kill, as have the other two "children", and all three of us are quite capable of killing a civilian such as yourself." His eyes narrowed dangerously and his voice became icy cold. "So watch what you say. We are children who are capable of killing you."

The adults in the room shivered at the icy coldness of Naruto's chakra. Who would have ever believed that the normally bouncy blonde could become so dangerously… _intense_…

The trip out of the village was noisy, with Naruto being his own normal bouncy self, utterly confusing the heck out of Tazuna.

Kakashi watched the blonde from behind his book, noting the way cerulean eyes swept over the road and their surroundings, and his hands linked behind his head, tense and ready, and in a perfect position to pull out the long knives that were hidden under his fluorescent orange jacket. Unseen behind his mask, the jounin frowned.

Naruto caught out of the corner of his eyes, the soft glimmer of sun on water, and his eyes narrowed imperceptibly. His shoulders tensed, and he watched from the corner of his eye as Kakashi dropped to the back to take rear guard. They passed the puddles minutes later, and two men bearing the slashed hitae-ate of Kiri nuke-nin emerged from the puddles.

Two chains wrapped around Kakashi, and the jounin had barely time to scream before he was ripped apart in a shower of blood and flesh. Sakura screamed in shock and horror, while Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"One down," the two nuke-nin said in unison.

The chains then shot toward the apparently immobile blonde, and Sasuke swiftly moved to intercept the chains before Naruto could meet the same fate. In the trees, Kakashi shook his head, unimpressed by Naruto "freezing up" in an important moment. The jounin blinked in surprise when the blonde vanished in a puff of smoke as Sasuke pinned the chains to the trees with a kunai and shuriken.

_Kage Bushin? So maybe he didn't freeze up then… _the jounin thought contemplatively.

The two missing-nin decided to go for the easier target, and turned their attention toward Sakura and Tazuna. Sakura swallowed nervously and quickly pulled out a kunai, and slid into a defensive position in front of Tazuna. Sasuke quickly positioned himself in between Sakura and the two nin, intent on completing the mission. Hidden in the trees, Kakashi was about to leap out of his hiding place when a blonde blur shot from the trees and smashed the skulls of the nuke-nin together, knocking them out. Kakashi dropped from the tree he was hiding in and reappeared in front of his student, and he quickly checked over the missing-nin, and was faintly relieved to note that the Demon Brothers were only unconscious.

"Hmm… Good job Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto," the jounin said, looking up from the prone forms of the two nuke-nin and smiling at his students, "I'm proud of you."

Sakura looked pleased, Sasuke smirked, and Naruto nodded, his eyes cool. Kakashi's features became serious and he turned toward Tazuna.

"We need to talk," the silver haired jounin said seriously.

The bridge builder swallowed nervously, and nodded, looking faintly anxious.

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful but for a brief moment of panic when Naruto vanished. The blonde reappeared after a few minutes, dressed in black slacks made of a stretchy fabric and a black long sleeved jacket with a mandarin collared trimmed with red. His orange jumpsuit was nowhere to be seen. After several minutes of scolding from the members of Team 7, and a brief interrogation from Kakashi to confirm that he was really Uzumaki Naruto, the group set off once more.

Kakashi glanced at Naruto from behind his book once in a while during the boat ride to the island. There was a strange emotion stirring in the back of his mind, one that he could put a name to, and it bothered him. All the Copy-nin could be sure of was that it concerned the youngest of his students, and he couldn't help but worry. It wasn't normal, after all, for a ninja to suddenly vanish and change one's clothes during a potentially sensitive mission.

It wasn't long before the ride ended, and Team 7 and their client continued on foot toward Tazuna's home. As they neared a lake, Naruto's senses picked up on a powerful chakra source, one that was being very skillfully hidden. His features were smooth and blank, but his eyes shone in amusement. Had Naruto not been a Hunter, he would have missed the slight flare of Kakashi's chakra as he sensed Zabuza's hidden chakra.

"Duck!" Kakashi yelled suddenly.

As Kakashi yelled, he grabbed Tazuna, pressing him against the ground while Naruto tackled Sakura and Sasuke. A quiet whoosh and a slight breeze ruffled their hair as a large metal sword flashed through the air over their heads and imbedded itself deeply into the trunk of a tree. Slowly, as the five lifted their heads, they noticed the pale skinned man standing on the handle of the sword, his arms crossed over his chest.

_Momochi Zabuza…_

Naruto's eyes narrowed. It had begun…


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**Chapter 4: Revelation! Naruto's Secret**

"You are Hatake Kakashi, the Copy-Ninja," Zabuza said, his eyes sparkling with malice and more than a little glee. "No wonder the Demon Brothers failed."

Team 7 tensed.

"Demon of the Mist," Kakashi said in a neutral tone.

The corners of Naruto's lips twitched and his eyes gleamed in anticipation as he unobtrusively slid his long knives out of their sheaths under his jacket. Beside him, Sasuke shivered in excitement and took a step forward. Kakashi noticed the Uchiha's movement instantly and he threw out an arm, blocking the Uchiha's movement.

"Stay back!" the jounin snapped, "This is not your fight. He's out of your league."

Sasuke fumed silently. Out of his league? He was the top rookie genin!

Beside him, Naruto's lips curved slightly at the corners as he shifted toward Tazuna. He stood still, his knees bent, feet at shoulder width, the long knives in both hands, turned at the waist so his right shoulder was nearest Tazuna.

Zabuza frowned behind his bandages. He could see the boy's eyes darting around, searching the trees. Could he sense Haku, or did he simply suspect that there was more to this attack than was on the surface? Zabuza shook the thought away; this was not the time to speculate.

"Step aside. You're in the way," Zabuza said. "My business is with the old man."

"The old man is our client," Kakashi said, "I am your business."

Zabuza smirked. "So be it, Sharingan Kakashi."

Kakashi's hand drifted to his Hitae-ate, uncovering the Sharingan.

"Sharingan already?" Zabuza murmured, "I'm honored."

"Assume the manji formation!" Kakashi ordered, and the three genin moved into position.

Zabuza leapt off the zanbatou, simultaneously pulling it out of the tree and strapping it to his back and landed lightly on the lake, lifting one hand over his head and another to his face in a motion similar to the shushing motion. Naruto sensed the brief flare of chakra as the mist slowly began to thicken.

"Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu," Zabuza intoned, vanishing from view into the mist.

Slowly, the mist around them thickened until even the teammate a foot away from them became an indistinct blur in the mist.

"Sensei!" Sakura gasped.

The killer intent tore through the air, dispelling the mist enough for the genin and Tazuna to see in a five yard radius around them. Naruto's amusement vanished behind a mask of concentration as he extended his senses, blocking out the killing intent of the two jounin. They were not his worry at the moment, and Kakashi could take care of himself.

Sasuke began to shake. _He has the Sharingan that only the Uchiha clan possesses… That killing intent… It's almost enough to make someone choke! This atmosphere of two jounin preparing to clash… The feeling that my life is in someone else's hands… _The Uchiha gripped his kunai until his knuckles turned white. _I would rather kill my self to escape this feeling!_

As if he sensed Sasuke's fear, Kakashi moved to alleviate it. "Sasuke," he said, capturing the Uchiha's attention. "You are my students. Don't worry, I won't let any of you die."

Naruto shifted his weight in preparation, lifting one of his knives higher.

"I don't know about that," Zabuza's voice drifted from the mist.

Naruto pushed hard off the ground, twisting in the air, and slashed out with his knife. Zabuza, appeared just then in the center of the formation and was caught off guard. The missing-nin found a knife sticking out of his throat and stomach.

"Mizu Bushin," Naruto growled.

Sure enough, as the blonde pulled the blades out of Zabuza's body, the man dissolved into water, hitting the ground with a splash. Zabuza appeared behind him, and Kakashi's eyes widened.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried, "Behind you!"

Naruto ducked as Zabuza swung his blade. Kakashi took the chance and blocked the attack with his kunai. Naruto rolled and leapt back to his feet in his spot in the manji formation. Zabuza smirked and lashed out with a foot, kicking Kakashi into the air.

"Sensei!" Sakura cried.

Zabuza grinned as the silver haired jounin fell into the lake with a splash. Naruto caught sight of a flash of white in the trees nearby, and he formed a Kaga Bushin in the trees and performed Kawarimi, swapping places with the bushin while everyone's attention was on Kakashi who was trapped in Zabuza's water prison.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Haku stiffened and spun around to find himself face to face…er—mask to mask with a golden haired Hunter-nin. The nin cocked his head, and Haku had the unsettling feeling that the other nin knew he was not truly a Hunter.

"What is a Hunter-nin of Konoha doing here?" Haku asked.

The nin cocked his head in the opposite direction. "The same as you, of course, Hunter of the Mist," he said warmly.

"I-I see…"

"No," the Hunter said, the warmth disappearing from his voice, "You don't see. If you did, you wouldn't be masquerading as one of us."

"Ex-excuse me?"

"No Hunter would leave a foreign ninja to finish their dirty work for them," the nin said, gesturing with a knife at the two jounin. "If you really are one of us, you would be down there right now fighting Zabuza, and Kakashi and his genin would be on their way with their client."

Haku's eyes widened behind his mask as he recognized the two blades in the Hunter's hands. "You…"

He didn't have time to finish the thought as the Hunter surged forward, his blades glinting in the sun.

Kakashi had been freed from the water prison by the genin and was rapidly forming hand seals as his Sharingan copied Zabuza's movements. The water dragons slammed into one another, canceling each other out, and as Kakashi and Zabuza began another set of hand seals, two Hunters flew out of the trees and landed lightly on the lake.

Zabuza's eyes widened as he recognized one of the Hunters. "Haku!"

"Zeiguwa!" Kakashi breathed in surprise.

"Sensatsu Suisho!" Haku cried as the water froze into ice needles.

He sent them flying at the other Hunter who dodged off to the side, rolling over the water as if it were solid ground. He wasn't quite fast enough and several needles were embedded in his left leg.

"Che," the Hunter said as he stood up. "Remove that mask. I want to see the face of the impersonator that I will be executing."

"You may remove it after you kill me," Haku said, and he leapt forward once more.

Zeiguwa gasped as a flurry of punches impacted and a powerful kick to the face sent him flying. He flipped in the air, and hit the surface of the water with his palms and pushed off, back flipping away. He calmly rose to his feet beside Kakashi as a crack appeared in the surface of the white porcelain mask. There was a quiet tinkle as the mask shattered on Zeiguwa's face and the pieces fell into the lake.

"Naruto!" Kakashi gasped, staring at his student.

"The Fox of the Leaf…" Zabuza whispered, staring at the dead blue eyes of the blonde "is a genin?"

"What's happening?!" Naruto's bushin yelled. "Who are those ninja?"

"A partner?" Sakura shrieked, "He had a partner?!"

"I am Zeiguwa," Naruto intoned, thankful that his back was all Tazuna or Sakura and Sasuke could see, "Oinin of Konoha. I will not allow you to threaten our shinobi any longer."

Zabuza grabbed Haku's shoulder. Heeding the unspoken order, Haku activated his jutsu and he disappeared with Zabuza in a swirl of leaves. Naruto sighed and vanished in a puff of smoke. Kakashi breathed a tired sigh and tugged his hitae-ate over his Sharingan, making a mental note to talk to Naruto in the future. He made it to shore and studied the Naruto standing there and noted the slight discrepancies that he had overlooked during the battle. Kakashi sighed and collapsed.

"I'm alright," he murmured to his worried students, "Just used too much chakra." And fell unconscious.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**Chapter 5:** **The Hunter and the Impersonator**

Kakashi woke just as Naruto entered the room, carrying a tray. The silver haired jounin raised his one visible eyebrow as the blond set the tray in front of the Copy-nin.

"You've been asleep for almost two days," Naruto's voice was light. "Tsunami-san made some porridge for when you woke."

"Why would a Hunter-nin be on a genin team?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto smiled gently. "Because the Hokage ordered it."

"That doesn't answer my question."

The blonde's smile widened slightly. "Perhaps."

"Are you aware of…"

"My heritage? Yes."

"How?"

"The Hokage knows all, well, as much as anyone can know at least."

"Naruto?"

"Hm?"

"Don't ever change."

A faint smile crossed Naruto's face. "Change is inevitable, Kakashi-sensei. It's in the nature of all things, living and nonliving, to change."

Kakashi chuckled. "True, but don't ever change."

"Eat. You need your strength for the next time we meet with Zabuza and his little Hunter."

"You seem sure of it."

Naruto smiled gently. "They will attack if they wish to be paid, but they will not charge headlong as they had before, not now that they know that I am no mere genin. They will attack, because it is their mission, and we must guard Tazuna for that is ours, and all things come full circle."

Kakashi groaned, placing his head in his hands. "Great, now you're talking like a Hunter. What did I do to deserve this?"

"The geniuses always seem to get the short end of the stick, don't they?" Naruto asked, his eyes wistful as he thought back to the past. "But then, that is just how life is."

Kakashi watched as the blonde walked out of the room, his steps calm and sure. Kakashi couldn't help but wonder how the boy had managed to keep such a large secret, yet the knowledge of the Hunter certainly did explain many things. It had scared him when he saw the blonde making a move as if preparing for a death strike only to stop short of it during training sessions. The knowledge that the boy was a Hunter explained much, and Kakashi found that with a source of answers to the questions about his blonde student, many of his fears had been alleviated. A faint smile crossed his lips, unnoticed under his mask, which had been left on, most likely by Naruto's insistence.

"Well, at least I don't have to feel guilty about concentrating more on Sasuke," the Copy-nin mused. "Maybe I can convince him to help Sakura improve as a kunoichi…"

"Don't even think about it," a calm voice drifted through the door. "I have my own missions to deal with. I don't need to tutor a whiny fangirl on top of all of that."

Kakashi blinked. "You heard me?"

A blonde head poked into the room, scowling, "It's called standing guard. You're weak from your injuries and chakra depletion, even if you can get them to work together, Sasuke and Sakura are hardly adequate protection for Tazuna against two jounin level missing-nin, and I am possibly the only ninja here that is capable of jounin level combat at this time. Do you see the possibilities for trouble yet?"

Kakashi chuckled. "All right, I get your point. What do you propose I do then, Zeiguwa-sama?"

"Use the day to regain some of your strength and then teach them tree climbing," was the curt response as the blonde pulled his head out of the room and closed the door.

Faintly, the silver haired jounin could hear muttering about, "Great ninja, but horrible sensei." Kakashi couldn't help but smile. Maybe being jounin sensei wouldn't be so bad now that there was someone who he could have a jounin level discussion with when things got slow…

"All right!" Kakashi said brightly, standing lightly in the glade. "I'm here to teach you tree-climbing."

"Tree climbing?" Sakura said, "How is that supposed to help us against Zabuza?" **Shanaroooo!!! Are you trying to get us all killed?!** Inner Sakura roared.

"Theoretically," Kakashi said, "If you can complete this exercise, you can perform any jutsu. Now watch carefully…"

Naruto lay wordlessly in the edge of the clearing, watching the stars. There was no other person than him there, and the peace of untouched nature soothed his weary soul and mind. It was there, among the wild herbs of healing the he slipping into a deep and healing sleep, soothed by the sharp, crisp smell of crushed mint…

The slender form of a dark haired boy in a sleeveless yukata entered the glade, and he stiffened, noting the blonde boy sleeping at the edge of the glade. He remembered him, the Leaf Hunter-nin who, for some reason unknown to him, was posing as a genin. Unconsciously, his hands balled into fists as his veins were flooded with red hot anger. He had ruined everything, and Zabuza-san had no idea the weaknesses of the Sharingan, because he, Haku, had been cornered and distracted from the fight by the Hunter.

Cerulean eyes opened and stared into Haku's surprised eyes and languidly, the Hunter stretched and sat up.

"You should try not to project so much when approaching an enemy," Naruto said lightly.

Haku stiffened. "You had a chance to kill me while I was surpised," he said, "Yet you let that chance pass. Why?"

Naruto studied Haku and said calmly, "I have a teammate approaching, it would be detrimental to my cover if I was to display higher skills than is expected from me, and he saw it. Of course, I could kill you here and now and vanish as if I were never here in the first place, and all Sasuke would find would be your corpse."

Haku stiffened and Naruto smiled. "Kakashi is recovering well. It would only be a matter of time before he is able to fight a jounin level battle without my interference. I would hope that you and Zabuza not confront us a second time. It would not be worth your while. I am familiar with the ways of men like Gato. He hires missing-nin by the hundreds, and kills them when they have done their job. Nobody would miss a nuke-nin, after all, and Gato would add to his wealth when he receives the bounties that are on your heads. It's all a matter of nature, and men by nature will do all in their power to keep what they have, and not surrender any more of it than they may need."

"However, if you truly intend for there to be another confrontation, then see Zabuza to full health with these." The blonde rose to his feet and held out a bundle of herbs. Haku took them warily and began sorting through them.

"I hope I do not see you again, Haku," Naruto said, watching the dark haired boy sort through the herbs, "and if we do, I pray that it is as strangers on the road or a chance meeting at an inn. But know this, if you and Zabuza come to the bridge, then your future holds only death."

"What?" Haku stared at the blonde in surprise.

"I have seen your future," Naruto said, his eyes glowing with suppressed power, "If you and Zabuza come to the bridge, if you make a second attempt against Tazuna, you will have no future but death."

"You lie," Haku snapped, "You do not have so much as a Sharingan, how can you see the future?"

Naruto laughed. "Not all bloodlines are like the Byakugan or the Sharingan! Mine has allowed me to see the future, and the future I have seen is a dark one. Konoha will fall because of the power lust in the heart of Uchiha Sasuke and the lie that his brother fed him for his protection. Konoha will fall because our Sandaime is weak, and has chosen no successor. You and Zabuza shall die because of Gato's greed. I will die at the hands of one I called a friend by a jutsu taught to him by one I love above all else. I have seen the future, and it is a sad one indeed."

"Why are you telling me this?" Haku whispered, his eyes filled with horror.

"Because in the end, you will die anyway." Naruto left the clearing, vanishing into the trees without a trace with the ease of long practice.

Haku knelt in the glade, his eyes staring in horror at the spot where the blonde once stood, his words echoing in his mind.

"_Not all bloodlines are like the Byakugan or the Sharingan! Mine has allowed me to see the future, and the future I have seen is a dark one._ _Konoha will fall because of the power lust in the heart of Uchiha Sasuke and the lie his brother fed him for his protection. Konoha will fall because our Sandaime is weak and has chosen no successor. You and Zabuza shall die because of Gato's greed. I will die at the hands of one I called a friend by a jutsu taught to him by one I love above all else. I have seen the future, and it is a sad one indeed."_

"_Why are you telling me this?"_

"_Because in the end, you will die anyway."_

"Was that wise, warning them like that?" Kakashi asked, and Naruto paused in mid-step.

"I gave no warning, simply a suggestion as a gesture of goodwill. I had no orders to execute them or to refrain from offering advice. With Hunters, things are done differently from how ANBU deal with missing-nin."

"Obviously," was Kakashi's dry reply.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**Chapter 6:** **The** **Eyes** **of** **the** **Oracle**

The Kazama line was known for its great warriors. The women were deadly, beautiful, and wise, the men skilled in the shadows with senses like no others. They were great leaders, for the sons were soldiers whose senses and instincts made them formidable enemies, and were often seal masters with brilliant minds. The daughters were deadly yet wise, for they bore the eyes which were the pride of the Kazama Clan, the Yochigan, which allowed them to see far, and they viewed things that were, things that are, and some things that had not yet come to pass. The daughters became the Oracles, and the sons the guardians and carriers. Both had the eyes, but only the daughters could carry them without harm, and rare were the sons who bore the eyes…

Rare, but not unheard of, for it was said that Kazama Sora, the founder of the Kazama line, bore the Yochigan, though the onslaught of visions throughout time destroyed his sight and drove him mad…

The Hokage had explained to him before that the Kyuubi's healing factor could possibly protect his eyes from the damage from the Yochigan, damage that could utterly destroy the eyes of a male Kazama Heir. Sarutobi had once promised him that they would see if it was possible for him to awaken the Yochigan if time permitted. Neither of them had ever spoken of it again, because the Sandaime had been killed shortly afterwards.

The golden haired Jinchuuriki knew that the future was changing rapidly, and he could feel it in the very depths of his being. He could smell the difference in the air, could taste it in the water, and he felt it in the earth. Things were coming that he could sense and could only guess at. He knew in the depths of his soul, that what Konoha needed now, was neither a Demon Vessel nor an Empath, but an Oracle. And he knew that if it were in his power, his and the Kyuubi's, an Oracle he would give them.

He studied the platform that he had built on the treetops (mostly by weaving the branches together or tying them with the climbing vines that wrapped around the trunks), and reviewed the seals that he had inked onto the still living wood. There was still much that he would have to do, talking the Kyuubi into altering his eyes for him had been the easy part, performing the ritual on his own, well that was a different thing all together.

A nine-tailed fox scurried up the tree and leapt onto the platform, wrapping its tails neatly around it's body as it sat down.

"Well?" Naruto said quietly, "Are you content?"

"_Very much so,"_ the fox answered. _"You and I, however, are still very much_ _bound to the other's fate."_

"A temporary corporeal form for you to roam free is a small price to pay for what you are about to help me do, Kyuubi," he said, "And I know you well enough to know that you keep your word."

"_You are lucky that I am not Shukaku…"_ the Kyuubi said, _"Now_ **_he_** _is one who would never keep his word if he could get out of it…"_ The Kyuubi let loose a bark like laugh, then fixed a single red eye on the blonde and said seriously, _"I will tell you this now, if something goes wrong, I will worry more for your life than your eyes. Not only will your death lead to mine_ _(and frankly, I'm not ready to die yet),_ _I have grown fond of you."_

"And I you," Naruto said calmly, "You were, have, and always will be one of the few constants in my life."

"_Good,"_ the Kyuubi purred. _"Now, shall we begin?"_

Naruto nodded and stripped, revealing the seals painted onto his skin. He stepped into the circle and lay down while Kyuubi dipped the tip of a tail into a large dish of ink and began drawing more seals on the outside of the circle and closing the outer circle.

"_Channel your chakra into your eyes…"_

Kakashi could not help but be worried. Naruto was missing. Of course, the blonde was a Hunter, he would be able to take care of himself, but no one on Team 7 was supposed to know that the Kyuubi vessel was a Hunter…

A sudden wave of chakra hit his senses, and Kakashi recognized the chakra instantly. Before either Sakura or Sasuke could say anything, he was out of the house, and hobbling away as quickly as he possibly could on his crutches.

Naruto gritted his teeth as his eyes began to burn and prickle. His chakra burned through his eyes and the Kyuubi set to work destroying and reconstructing his eyes to accommodate the active Yochigan. The pain was near unbearable, and without knowing, he was projecting wave after wave of pain filled chakra. Beside him, the Kyuubi whimpered in sympathy and understanding, but did not stop his work.

An Oracle Konoha needed, an Oracle Konoha would get.

The sun set slowly in the distant horizon…

Kakashi paused as the waves of chakra faded out. He looked around, frowning.

Naruto groaned as his eyes throbbed.

"_It is done,"_ the Kyuubi said. _"Your eyes have been restructured to carry the Yochigan. My chakra will heal the damage, but if you use it_ _to much, not even my chakra can heal your eyes."_

"Great," Naruto groaned, sitting up. "How long do you think I can hold it?"

"_Considering your mental constitution and strength, perhaps a few minutes before you are overwhelmed by the images,"_ the Kyuubi answered.

"Great, just great," Naruto grumbled. He grabbed his clothes and pulled them on. "I hope you'll help me with the visions, Kyuubi. I like my sanity thank you."

The Kyuubi chuckled, the sound rumbling deep in its chest. _"You'll be fine. Now go. Your teacher is looking for you, and isn't there a possible confrontation in the works for tomorrow?"_

"Thanks Kyuubi," said Naruto and he vanished in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi frowned, turned and jumped slightly, surprised by the sudden appearance of his student in front of him. A single golden brow arched in question. Kakashi's sole visible eye curved in response. The blonde shrugged and walked off, the older shinobi falling into step beside him.

Kakashi never noticed the red slitted eyes watching them from above, and if Naruto was aware of the Kyuubi's gaze on them, he gave no sign of it. The fox shook its head, in amusement. It never failed to amaze him how much shinobi could communicate with simple body language alone.

In a simple conical hut not too far away, Zabuza held an apple in his hand and effortlessly crushed it. He grinned beneath his bandages and swung his sword onto his back.

"Let's go, Haku," he said gruffly.

"Yea, Zabuza-san," Haku answered.

It was darkness that pressed around him, and there were brief flashes of images. For now, he simply allowed the images to flash past. He made no attempt to stop an image or to bring it closer for him to view. He was not skilled, not yet, and if it were important, he knew instinctively that he would know, and that it would reveal itself to him. It was known to him instinctively, and was one of the many things that made Kazama males formidable enemies.

"If you harm him, I will bite my tongue and commit suicide!" Tsunami's voice drifted through the haze and darkness. Her voice was faint and hollow, as if coming from a great distance.

The darkness and images vanished and he opened his eyes and sat up. It was time.

If he played his part properly, then Konoha would gain two powerful ninja, and Orochimaru would find it less easy to meet his goals.

The door opened and he stepped outside.

Tsunami was about to scream as one of the swordsmen moved toward Inari, his sword raised, and the other turned toward her. Suddenly, a pair of hands appeared and snapped the neck of the thug approaching Inari, and the other man turned, and a shuriken slammed into his forehead in between his eyes. The two thugs dropped in a boneless heap, and Tsunami's throat constricted, locking her scream in her throat.

Naruto's eyes were cold and she shivered as the blank cerulean eyes turned toward her.

"If you could clean this up, Tsunami-san," he said. It was not a request.

Tsunami shivered at the emotionless voice of the boy that she had only seen as bright and optimistic at all times. She nodded stiffly.

Naruto turned his eyes on Inari, and an approving smile crossed his lips. "Well done," he said calmly. "Now if you would only show this courage outside of times of desperation, then you will grow to be a strong young man. Now if you will excuse me, I have a job to do." And he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Sakura watched fearfully as Kakashi faced off against Zabuza while Sasuke attempted to defend himself from the false Hunter-nin's barrage of senbon. Unnoticed to any of the nin, a single dark figure stood in the forest, watching as the fights progressed.

"Where is your Hunter, Kakashi?" Zabuza asked. "I thought the boy would be here?"

"Zeiguwa is no ordinary Hunter," Kakashi's voice was cool. "He has his own duties beside the ones that come with his cover as a genin. For all we know, he may be off performing a mission that he was selected for, if only because it is in this area, and he will be here."

"A definite possibility, but an incorrect assumption," said Naruto as he appeared in a swirl of leaves.

Kakashi's eye curved. "You're late."

"I had several potential kidnappers to put down," Naruto answered.

"Oh?"

"Yes, now if you excuse me, I have an Uchiha to rescue." Naruto vanished and reappeared in front of the mirrors.

His hands began to flash through a series of seals, his hands moving with a rhythm that he normally only showed when in his Hunter uniform. Finally, his hands connected in a last tiger seal, and he took a deep breath, gathering chakra in his lungs as he did so.

"Katon: Karyu Endan no Jutsu!" he thought, and blew out the chakra, compressing and converting it into fire as it passed his lips.

A white hot dragon of fire shot from his mouth and slammed into the ice mirrors, shooting through the dome, and curling around it, melting the ice. To avoid getting burned, Haku was forced to leap out of the ice mirrors. As the smoke cleared, Naruto could clearly see Haku standing over the prone, needle filled form of Sasuke.

Naruto paused and raised an eyebrow. "It he supposed to mean something?"

"I pity this boy," Haku said softly, "His own teammate hardly even cares for his death, and one whom he trusts is actually one he should never trust."

"If you must pity him, pity him because he has no people precious to him," Naruto said calmly. "And then pity those who do become precious to him, because ultimately they will die by his hands in his mad rage and desire for power."

Haku could only stare, speechless by Naruto's seeming callousness. "How can you be so uncaring!?" Haku cried.

"Because it is true," Naruto answered blandly. "There is no need to be gentle with the truth, especially not if the Uchiha is dead."

"How can you say such things?" Haku asked, "Is he not one of your precious people?"

"He is," Naruto said, "He is as precious to me as I am to him. This is why I will die by his hand when the time comes."

Haku stared at the prone figure at his feet, and his eyes widened in realization. "You knew that I would not kill him…"

Naruto's smile was cool. "I knew." His eyes warmed slightly. "I have power with fate. I can alter your destiny. I know that had things been different, we could have been friends, and we can still be thus."

Haku's eyes were faintly hopeful. "We cannot change this. You yourself said that we would die if we came to the bridge, and here we stand."

"I have power with fate," Naruto repeated. "I can change your fate," the blonde held out his hand as he spoke. "Simply take my hand, accept with all your heart my offer, and I can save you and Zabuza both."

"What would you offer us?"

Naruto's smile was gentle, and his cerulean eyes were distant. "I offer life; I offer a home, safe and warm. I offer a place where you may sleep without fear, a place where you can be protected while you protect it. I offer a place where your blood will not be shunned."

A faint wind blew, carrying away with it the mist, and his figure seemed to glow. His gentle voice was clear and soft yet resounding, and it seemed as though he were speaking with his singing voice. It was the voice of the Oracle.

Haku paused and stared at the other boy. Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out, and paused, his hand hovering centimeters over Naruto's. The blonde stood there, watching him with a patient, yet distant blue gaze. Haku found himself drawn into the distant blue depths, and he saw in the cerulean orbs, a faint flicker of gold, and Haku suddenly realized that he trusted the blonde unconditionally.

A faint, knowing smile crossed the blonde's lips, and Haku found himself smiling at the blonde as well. Cool, slender fingers closed over his hand, and Haku realized with a start that he had placed his hand in Naruto's while he was drowning in the deep blue eyes, yet somehow, Haku couldn't bring himself to care.

Zabuza and Kakashi looked over at toward the two, and Zabuza blinked. "Wha--?"

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. "Naruto… What have you done?" he whispered.

"Kakashi-sensei?!" Sakura cried, "What's going on?"

"I am curious as well," Zabuza said.

"I notice that you're not even making an attempt to fight your opponent, Zabuza," a snobbish male voice said. Of the six on the bridge, only Naruto did not turn his head toward the voice. "Obviously you are useless to me, Zabuza. Some demon," Gato snorted, "More of a _baby_ demon to me." The thugs behind him laughed.

Zabuza's eyes narrowed and he said to Kakashi, "It seems that our battle is over."

Kakashi nodded.

"Be silent, Gato," Naruto said suddenly, "We have not come through mist and shadow to bandy crooked words with a witless worm!"

(A/N: I've always loved Gandalf when he put down Wormtongue… And since Naruto is kinda an Oracle now, I thought it would be fitting! XD haha…)

Gato's eyes narrowed. How dare the insolent whelp speak to him in such a manner! "You, _boy_," Gato snarled, "should show respect for your betters."

Naruto threw his head back and laughed. His clear voice rang through the air, sweet and light as the sound of ringing bells.

"Show respect? To you? Why, you are naught but a beetle under my sandal!"

His voice had changed once again. While clear and sweet, Naruto's voice was filled with age and wisdom, as well as the indulgent condescension an adult may show when dealing with a petulant child.

His laughter was cut off abruptly as he leveled a firm look upon Gato. "I will show respect, if respect is offered to me. You call your self my better? Hah! Don't make me laugh!"

"The stupid boy! He's going to get himself killed!" Zabuza said.

"It's alright," Kakashi said calmly

"Damned brat!" Gato snarled. "Kill the boy!"

Naruto finally turned his eyes toward Gato, though his head did not move. His hand, which had not left Haku's since the missing-nin had accepted his offer, twitched, and Gato found the mercenaries that dared take a step with their throats slit.

"Much can my eyes see," Naruto murmured, "and I know your kind. Money is your lord and liege, and money shall be your downfall. I am of the highest breeding in Konoha, the son of a Hokage, and my eyes are those of prophesy."

He turned to face Gato, his hand slipping from Haku's and all could see that his eyes were white, and where the pupil had been was a seven pronged star, spinning slowly even as tears of blood fell from his eyes.

Gato stepped back, fearful of the ethereal figure who was dressed in dark colors, shrouded by mist, his whiskered face streaked with red tears.

"I bear no Sharingan, but I can see into the future," Naruto said, "And your future is death!"

A shuriken suddenly sprouted in Gato's forehead between his eyes, and the man collapsed. The shinobi could clearly see the kunai that had suddenly appeared in Naruto's hand. In the background, Sakura shivered, her eyes wide. _What kind of monster is he?!_

"Hey kid!" one of the thugs yelled, "You killed our meal ticket!"

"It's only a few of them and loads of us!" another thug yelled. "Let's kill em and pillage the town!"

"Yeah!" the thugs charged and Naruto closed his eyes and pulled a white cloth from his equipment pouch and tied it over his eyes.

His hands formed a familiar seal, and in the manner that he was best known, yelled, "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

The air around him flexed and fifty bushin appeared around him. The thugs hesitated, and Kakashi formed his own bushin. A crossbow bolt hit the ground in front of them, and the mist cleared.

"A hero always comes at the last minute!" Inari cried.

The thugs yelled in fear and turned tail and ran. Naruto's lips twitched in amusement.

"Indeed," he said softly.

The figure of Sasuke on the ground stirred.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried, seeing the boy rise behind Naruto.

Sasuke frowned at the corpse on the ground several yards away, and looked toward Naruto. His eyes widened at the sight of the cloth over blonde's eyes, slowly staining red.

"Naruto?"

Naruto's head tilted toward Sasuke. "Oh? So the sleeping beauty wakes at last…"

"Dobe…" Sasuke snarled.

The bridge was completed several weeks later, and at Nauto's suggestion, Zabuza and Haku accompanied them back to Konoha.

Kakashi glanced over at the blonde, worry shining in his sole visible eye. _That day, one the bridge… It was the Yochigan, I'm sure of it… But he never showed the signs that sensei told me to watch for…_

Naruto was an enigma. And Kakashi didn't like puzzles…


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**Chapter 7: The Voice of the Oracle**

The day Team 7 with the addition of Zabuza and Haku were in sight of Konoha was one of the strangest any of them had ever seen. For Naruto, it was the day when Kakashi had beaten him over the head with a confession of his feelings. Of course, that day was gone; it existed only in the memory of the Oracle, due to the changes that had been dealt to the timeline, it was not something that would be repeated. At least, not in the way that it had in the past, and certainly not at the same time.

"Oi, Naruto!" Sakura called.

"What is it, Sakura-san?" Naruto said absently.

Sakura blinked in surprise at the blonde's change in honorific, but resolutely plowed on. "What's up with the sudden change in attitude, eh? Don't try to act all cool just cause you brought down Gato, 'cause you're not all that!"

"Certainly, Sakura-san," Naruto said in the same absentminded tone, "Whatever you say…"

Kakashi glanced behind him and raised his sole visible eyebrow at the blank eyed blonde while Sasuke snorted.

"That's strange, isn't it, Haku-kun?" Sakura murmured. "What do you think is wrong with him?"

Haku shrugged. "Who knows."

Once inside the village, Kakashi dismissed the genin and led Haku and Zabuza away toward the Hokage tower. Sasuke hefted his pack and stalked off in the direction of the deserted Uchiha District while Sakura pelted him with requests for a date and blathered on about nothing while clinging to his arm like a limpet. Naruto, on the other hand, made his way to the Hokage Monument. He had a surrogate grandfather to visit…

Kakashi was not surprised to learn that the Hokage was at the Hokage Monument. And so, he left, leading Haku and Zabuza with him, intending to speak with the Hokage about allowing the two missing-nin to join Konoha's forces. He never expected to see Naruto with his eyes covered by his hitae-ate, the cloth stained red with trails of blood running down his face, being led off the Monument by the Sandaime.

Naruto was not surprised to find the Sandaime at the Hokage Monument. It was one of those things that you knew was constant, and took for granted, never knowing how much it meant until it was lost.

Thinking back, he had never realized how much the Sandaime meant to him until he had died. The Sandaime had been his surrogate grandfather and one of the people who were the reason why he turned out so well. He had always been there, and it had been the Sandaime who had smoothed the way for him in his life. The Sandaime who had cared for him in his infancy, who bought him his apartment and paid the rent until he gained his first paycheck and was capable of paying his own rent and utilities, it had been the Sandaime who had made sure the Academy would accept him, who had soothed him after his horrible nightmares/visions which was his heritage, and it had been the Sandaime who always put aside what he was doing to help him or when he simply wanted to talk.

Naruto had always regretted how long it had taken for him to realize how much the Sandaime meant to him. Of course, now that he was in the past, now that he bore the Yochigan, he could change much of what was about to happen. He knew, however, that some things were set in stone, and despite the Sandaime's impending death, he could and would make the best of what little time was left. He wouldn't take the Sandaime for granted again.

"OI!!!" he called, once he was close enough, knowing full well that the Sandaime had sensed his presence long before his arrival. "Sandaime-jiji!"

Naruto allowed his face to stretch in a wide, silly grin as the Sandaime turned. He saw the Sandaime's eyes light up as he took his pipe from his mouth and smiled.

"Oh?" The Sandaime said, "What brings you up here, Naruto?"

Naruto's features slid seamlessly into a calm mask of serenity, his eyes turning milky white with the golden seven pronged star rotating slowly even as his eyes welled with red. Sarutobi's eyes widened, and as suddenly as it had appeared, Naruto's mask shattered and his eyes closed and be pulled his hitae-ate over his eyes, and the blood seeped into the blue cloth, staining it.

Sarutobi clamped his hand onto Naruto's shoulders with a vice-like grip and he said firmly, "Hospital, Naruto. Now."

He bodily turned the genin and guided him off the monument, his mind a whirl with the possible repercussions of a male Kazama Heir bearing the Yochigan, especially one who was the vessel for the Kyuubi. Worry for the blonde pre-teen's health was at the very forefront of his mind, however. Sarutobi wondered how Naruto had gained the Yochigan, and what it may do to the boy in the future.

Partway down, they ran into Kakashi, with Zabuza and Haku behind him. After a quick discussion, Kakashi led Zabuza and Haku back to the Hokage Tower to wait for the Sandaime.

Once inside the hospital, a medic-nin examined Naruto, and assured the Sandaime that there was nothing wrong with either the boy or the seal.

Reassured, the Sandaime led the way back to the Hokage Tower. Inside the office, Sarutobi lit his pipe, studied Naruto for a moment, then said, "I want to know exactly how you achieved this, Naruto. For a male Kazama Heir to bear the All-Seeing-Eye is unheard of."

(A/N: The Yochigan is actually translated as the Prediction Eye, but All-Seeing-Eye sounds so much cooler…XD)

Naruto hesitated then knelt in a formal position in front of the desk, and said, "Hokage-sama, I swear to you by the oaths which bind me as a ninja of Konoha, that what I am about to tell you is true."

Sarutobi nodded, "Go on…"

And Naruto told him everything.

Sarutobi smoked his pipe contemplatively, his eyes turned toward the Hokage Monument. He slowly exhaled the smoke and turned back toward the blonde who still knelt before his desk in a formal position.

"What would you have me do then?" he said. "There does not seem to be hope if what you tell me is true."

"There is always hope, Hokage-sama," Naruto said. "I speak as the Voice of the Oracle when I say this: There may not be much time, but there is yet hope. If you would summon the Sannin back to Konoha, there may still be a chance. I myself will set out to seek Tsunade if you so desire it. In the meantime, Hokage-sama, you must appoint an heir. Again, I will convince Tsunade to take the position if you choose her, for she would bring a new power to Konoha, which, I am sorry to say, is stagnating. Then you must watch the Sound and Sand genin participating in this year's chunin exam, and especially beware the genin team that contains Yakushi Kabuto, for they are traitors to the Leaf."

Sarutobi nodded. "As the Voice has said, so too shall it be done. I will send word to Jiraiya, and I will assign a B-rank mission to seek out the Sannin Tsunade and bring her back to Konoha."

Naruto nodded. "It would be best to begin at once. Your first step in the strengthening of Konoha would be to instate Momochi Zabuza and his apprentice, Momochi Haku as ninja of the Leaf. They will be powerful allies; and the Oracle has already promised them succor, a home and a place among our citizens in return for loyal service to Konoha." He rose and said, "I will come in to discuss this in more depth after Tsunade arrives in Konoha."

"I look forward to that time," Sarutobi said.

Naruto nodded and vanished in a puff of smoke.

In a random town in Wind Country, Tsunade stared at the slot machine in front of her and the jangling of the jackpot music and the clinks of the coins falling into the tray. But she never won! Something was up…

Unknown to her, a cloaked and hooded figure with a white porcelain mask was moving swiftly through the forests of Konoha. A Hunter was tracking his quarry, and he would bring the Sannin Tsunade back to the Hidden Village of the Leaf, even if he had to drag her, kicking and screaming, to the village gates itself.

Tsunade and picked up Shizune and the two had left town almost immediately.

The Hunter found Tsunade in some random town just behind the far border of Wave Country. It was then that Tsunade made another win, and she became uneasy. He could not help but watch (with more than a little unholy amusement) as the days passed and the Sannin continued to have a winning streak, and continuously became more uneasy. At the ending of the week, the Sannin's nerves had become stretched to the limit, and the Hunter chose to avert his eyes for a day to allow her to rest before approaching.

The day he chose to approach Tsunade was the day she chose to squander her winnings at a bar. Hey, she was having a winning streak, why not take advantage of it by paying off her debts and having some fun with the leftovers?

That day, He chose to wear his formal uniform and mask, which he usually wore when he was inside the village on bodyguard duty. The uniform consisted of a black skintight sleeveless shirt with a high collar, his lightweight cuirass, black leather gloves with a thin sheet of metal with the symbol of Konoha carved along the edges on the back of his hand, his arm-protectors, black slacks with multiple pockets, and the standard shinobi sandals. His formal mask was black porcelain molded and painted to resemble the face of the jaguar for which he was named with the symbol of Konoha carved into the forehead.

It was to Tsunade's great surprise when the dark countenance of the Hunter materialized from the shadows near the doorway of the bar before her. Her eyes found the Leaf symbol on the mask after several seconds of shock and relaxed slightly even as her eyes narrowed.

_What is a Hunter of Konoha doing here of all places?_ She wondered, not really caring.

"Tsunade-sama," The Hunter said calmly, "Might I have a word with you?"

"You've already had a word," Tsunade snapped, and stalked into the bar.

She blinked when she saw the Hunter sitting in a corner, the porcelain mask on the table beside him. The lower half of his face was covered by a cloth facemask, while his eyes were covered with a black cloth. An untouched drink was set in front of him.

He looked up (or so it seemed, which was impossible, since he seemed blind unless he was a Hyuuga, but that was impossible also since they were _very_ proud of their eyes), and motioned for Tsunade to join him. Cautiously, she approached and sat down across from the Hunter. The Hunter said nothing, even as Tsunade ordered her drink, and swallowed two cups of warm sake.

"Shall we talk?" the Hunter said calmly.

"Let's start with who you are," Tsunade snapped.

Dark navy cloth shifted, and Tsunade got the vague feeling that the Hunter was smiling at her. "I am Zeiguwa," the Hunter said calmly.

"Zeiguwa?" Tsunade frowned. "I've heard of you. You were the youngest to ever join the ranks of the Oinin. Why are you here?"

"Have yoou heard of the Oracle, Tsunade-sama?" Zeiguwa asked in reply.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tsunade said.

Dark cloth shifted once more, even as the Hunter tilted his head off to the side slightly, and Tsunade once again got the feeling that the Hunter was smiling. "Everything," Zeiguwa answered, "Because the Oracle is awake, and Konoha is in need. The Sandaime has been instructed to summon the Sannin, and I was given the task to deliver the message."

Tsunade blinked and slumped in her seat. "I swore that I would never return to Konoha…" she said.

"And well does the Oracle know it," Zeiguwa said, "But there are some oaths that are better off broken. Kazama-sama has instructed the Sandaime to summon the Sannin back to Konoha, and the Sandaime has obeyed. The question now, Tsunade-sama, is will you obey the Oracle willingly, or must I force you to obey by dragging you to the very gates of Konohagakure no Sato?"

"Who would dare disobey the Oracle?" Tsunade whispered, staring into her sake. "I will answer the Oracle's summon and return."

Zeiguwa nodded. "I will give you time to prepare. We will leave at noon tomorrow."

And then he was gone. Tsunade blinked, realizing that not once had she sensed his chakra the entire time she had been in his presence. There had been no surge of air rushing into a suddenly vacated spot, no smoke or flickering, and no traces of chakra.

_How powerful is the kid?_ Tsunade wondered absently. She polished off the sake, and left.

The only sign of her presence or that of the Hunter was the empty sake bottle and cup, the untouched drink, and several coins.


	9. Chapter 8

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**Chapter 8: Foreshadowing**

_**---**Dark cerulean eyes devoid of light and life stared at the kunai, watching as the light of the moon reflected off the blade._

"_I won't stop you if it's what you really want… But don't do this kid,"_ the voice of the Kyuubi said harshly from its cage.

"_Why not?" he said, speaking aloud in the empty room. "Life isn't worth living like this…"_

"_All life is precious, and even more precious are the ones that suffer, for they are the ones with the most to gain and the least to lose…"_

_The kunai fell to the floor, stained red with blood… The wound did not heal, and crimson life pooled around the still legs of the blank eyed Hunter…**---**_

Cerulean eyes opened as the Hunter shifted and pushed away from the tree trunk, sitting straight up, his legs dangling off the branch. He turned his eyes downward toward the fire, and the Sannin who was looking up at him with worried brown eyes, her apprentice sleeping peacefully beside her.

"Bad dream?" she asked.

Naruto smiled, an action that was lost behind the facemask and the dark navy blindfold. "Just dreaming about things long past…" he answered.

Tsunade studied the shadowy figure of the Hunter perched in the trees doubtfully, then nodded. She watched as the Hunter leaned against the tree trunk once more and tilted his face upward, and the silvery dappled light of the moon fell over his face, and Tsunade seemed to perceive an aura of sadness around the Hunter, and she turned away.

Kakashi frowned as he stood before the Hokage. Naruto on a solo mission? If he wasn't aware that the blonde was actually a Hunter, the mere idea would have been preposterous. For Sakura and Sasuke who didn't know, it _was_ a preposterous idea. How could the Hokage have sent someone like the dead last on a solo mission? He was going screw up and get himself killed! Obviously Sasuke was more suited to the mission; after all, Sasuke was the top rookie genin!

"True," the Hokage's gruff voice interrupted, and Sasuke and Sakura cringed. Had they said all of that out aloud? "However, Naruto has certain skills that makes him best suited to take this mission. The chances of Naruto's failure are very slim, and for anyone else, failure would almost be guaranteed."

Sakura glanced behind her and flinched, quickly turning her eyes downward to study the floor. The look of angry disapproval on her normally relaxed teacher's masked features was rather frightening. Sasuke merely hid whatever he was feeling (including the surfacing feeling of inadequacy when compared to Naruto who, they recently discovered, had been taking minor solo missions since they had become genin) behind a calm and uncaring mask.

At the gates of Konoha, Shizune glanced nervously to the side, looking for the Hunter, but Zeiguwa had vanished.

"Tsunade-sama," she said softly.

"I know, Shizune," Tsunade murmured, "but it's to be expected from a Hunter. Even if Sensei sent a Hunter to find us, in the end, they aren't supposed to be seen."

TTsunade sent Shizune to do as she liked, and made her way to the Hokage Tower. The Sannin knocked and entered the Sandaime's office and blinked when she saw Zeiguwa standing behind the Sandaime, who was going through some papers, and Jiraiya, who was seated in one of the chairs in front of the Sandaime's desk. The Sandime signed the paper, set it in the Outbox, and looked up and smiled at Tsunade.

"Tsunade, welcome back," the Sandaime said. "I'm glad you could come on such short notice."

"I'm not foolish enough to refuse the Oracle," Tsunade said.

"No one is that foolish, fortunately," Jiraiya said.

"Orochimaru would be," Zeiguwa said suddenly. "He would be foolish enough to refuse the Oracle, I mean… There may be an alternate timeline in which it had been Tsunade who defected, and Jiraiya the Sannin who swore to never return to Konoha. The Oracle sent for Orochimaru who was in Wind Country, and he refused the summons, leaving the Sandaime to send out seven squads of Oinin to retrieve him. None of them, unfortunately, ever made it back to Konoha."

The office was silent but for the chirping of cicadas, which in itself was odd since it was broad daylight, and it was spring. Then the Sandaime began to chuckle.

"Ah, Zeiguwa…" he said, still chuckling, "you never fail to amuse me…"

Zeiguwa tilted his head slightly to the left. "I was serious!"

Jiraiya began to smile, and Tsunade suddenly had the urge to try to pull off the young Hunter's mask to see if he was pouting.

"To business then," the Sandaime said, his face becoming serious. He turned to look at the Hunter, "You said something about a talk that would take place after Tsunade and Jiraiya arrived?"

"Orochimaru has tricked Suna into an alliance with Oto," Zeiguwa said. "During the third exam, Orochimaru will impersonate the Kazekage. During the match between Subaku no Gaara and Uchiha Sasuke, the invasion will begin. The best bet is for the Sannin to stay by your side, Hokage-sama."

"Wait, what is going on?" Tsunade asked.

"Eh? You didn't tell them?" Sandaime asked.

"I saw no reason why it would have been necessary for them to know my identity. Simply telling them that the Oracle wished for their presence in Konoha was enough to get them here didn't it?"

"Wait just one moment!" Tsunade cried, leaping to her feet, pointing at Zeiguwa. "You're the Oracle?!"

Zeiguwa tugged off the mask to reveal bright blue eyes and three thin whisker-like scars on both cheeks. He bowed and smiled. "Kazama Kazuki, at your service."

"But… you're male! It should be impossible for you to have the Yochigan!"

Zeiguwa smiled. "I'm known for doing the impossible."

"What about your health?! Your eyes aren't built for the Yochigan!"

"The Kyuubi restructured my eyes to carry the Yochigan with minimal damage."

"The Kyuubi!!!? You let the Kyuubi near your eyes?! Are you insane?!!!"

"No more insane than being the Kyuubi's jailor makes me the Kyuubi."

"But the Kyuubi's jailor is a child called Uzumaki Naruto," Jiraiya protested.

"That is the name I am best known by," Zeiguwa admitted.

Shocked silence…

Zeiguwa turned toward the Sandaime. "I'll leave the rest to you, Sandaime-sama. My eyes only penetrate so far, I'll be in touch."

Sandaime nodded and Zeiguwa replaced his mask and vanished.


	10. Chapter 9

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**Chapter 9: The Fourth's Prophesy**

"The Kyuubi Vessel…" Tsunade said shakily, "Arashi sealed the Kyuubi in his own son, who is now the Oracle…"

Jiraiya leaned back in the chair, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling. "I never even suspected…" he pinned the Sandaime with a sharp look. "You could have told us. I would have taken the boy in without hesitation."

"I have no doubt that you would have taken Naruto in," Sandaime said, "But it had been Arashi's wish that Naruto at least stay within the village until he becomes 13. In his will, it was stated thus…" He opened a drawer and pulled out a scroll and unrolled it.

"_It is my wish that my son, Kazama Kazuki, remain in the village until his thirteenth birthday. It is to be known to the Village that Kazuki is the Jinchuuriki no Kyuubi, but not that he is my son, nor are the younger generation to know of either his heritage or burden. Let him grow strong as Uzumaki Naruto, and in the day of the Gennin Exam, let his heritage be revealed, and should he desire it, his burden. There will be Twelve Children who will become his most Precious People, One of whom will be his most treasured friend as well as his Death. Seven Elite Ninja will be the source of his strength, his teachers in academics and life, however brief their time as master and student. From these Seven, will be the One who will become most precious to him, the source of his Desire to Live. Kazuki must meet Both who would become the One from both age groups, and thus, he must remain in the village for their Fates are bound together irrevocably. Even if nothing else in my will can be honored, at least honor my wishes for my son, for not only does this concern Kazuki, but the Fate of Konohagakure no Sato. He is the Test and the Judge who will determine the Village's Fate. This I have Seen… For good or ill, Fate has bound the Destiny of Kazuki and the Village together irrevocably."_

"He put his Insight into his will," Jiraiya breathed, his eyes shocked. "The foolish boy! By making a record of what he Saw, he effectively made his Insight a Prophesy!"

"It has already begun," Sandaime said softly. "Naruto has already named the One from the Twelve and the One from the Seven at least once. Kakashi's report about their mission to Wave Country states that Naruto spoke of his death at the hand of one he calls a friend by a jutsu taught to him by one he loves above all else. I can already guess who his 'Death" will be, since their intense rivalry is far too great of a threat to ignore."

"And the so called One he will love above all else?" Tsunade said.

"That, I do not know," the Sandaime said, "I am only aware of Iruka, Kakashi, and Myself. Naruto, however, has hinted that he has come in contact with all Seven at least once at some point in the past."

"Any guesses on the Twelve?" Jiraiya asked.

"Two certainties, and three possibilities," Sandaime said. "Obviously his teammates, and possibly Konohamaru and his two friends, Moegi and Udon. They're the only people close to his age that he spends much of his time with."

Tsunade sighed. "That's all very interesting, but weren't we summoned for a reason?"

"True," Jiraiya said, "so what do we do?"

Outside, a portion of wall rippled as a camouflage was dropped, and a shadowed figure leapt away. A solitary wind blew, whisking leaves through the air…

* * *

A Hunter stood wordlessly at the cenotaph, his mind listing the names that were carved onto the memorial as Tsunade took office. Unnoticed behind the mask, golden seven pronged stars rotated in white irises as the Yochigan added names that may and would appear in the future.

It was three very surprised ninja who arrived in training ground seven and found, not Kakashi at the cenotaph, but a Hunter. Itsumo murmured to Kotetsu, "I thought Hunters weren't supposed to be seen? Why do you think he's here?"

Genma rolled his eyes. "Chunnin," he snorted. "It should be obvious. Let's find some other place to spar. I'd rather not annoy a Hunter paying his respects."

"It's not necessary," the Hunter said, passing them. "I have an appointment I was leaving for anyway."

Genma blinked and Kotetsu shivered. "Creepy…" he muttered. "He was right in front of us and I didn't even notice him until he spoke… I couldn't even sense his chakra either…"


	11. Chapter 10

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**Chapter 10: Secret Sorrow**

Fear…

The scent of his prey's fear was thick in the air, clogging his throat and leaving an oily aftertaste on his tongue.

It was an emotion the Hunter was accustomed to sensing, one that he had lived intimately with for many years.

His ears twitched as he caught the sounds of harried breathing and the rustling of leaves. He could hear the faint rustling of cloth and the scraping of sandals against bark, and the sound of small twigs breaking, and the nearly inaudible clinking of weapons and money stored in clothing.

He flicked a wrist, launching a shuriken in the direction of the sound. There was a soft thunk of metal impacting wood. He lifted his head and sniffed lightly at the air.

Blood…

His prey had gotten careless, and had been injured.

He paused at the sight of something dark and wet glistening on the leaves.

A gloved hand plucked the leaf from the branch, bringing it to his eyes, hidden behind the white porcelain mask.

He recognized the coppery smell…

Blood…

His prey's blood, most likely.

_How careless to leave a blood trail… _a voice murmured in the deep recesses of his mind.

Distantly, he acknowledged the thought, and dropped the leaf and leapt from the branch on which he stood. He had a prey to catch…

He could see his prey now, a shadowy figure darting through the moonlight dappled trees.

The Hunter increased his pace, gently sliding one of the two kodachi strapped crosswise across his back from its sheath.

There was a blur of movement, and the corpse of his prey fell to the ground, headless. He stood on the tree branch, looking down on the headless corpse, his hand gripping the severed head by the hair as blood dripped from the tip of the kodachi onto the leaf strewn ground below. He vanished in a swirl of leaves and reappeared on the ground and tossed the head onto the corpse.

Efficiently, he cleaned his blade with a fistful of grass and leaves before sheathing it. Swiftly, he performed several hand seals and summoned several large carrion birds that converged on the corpse, feasting on fresh meat.

Minutes later, the patch of forest was empty, and the blood soaked ground was the only sign that the corpse had been there at all.

The Hunter slipped through the forest, silently, a shadow flitting from one shadow to another. The walls of the village loomed ahead of him, and with a slight ripple of chakra, he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

He reappeared on the roof of a random building just inside the village wall, and he flitted through the shadows of the village and slipped unseen and unheard through the open window of his apartment. In silver light of the moon in the center of the sparsely furnished living room, he removed his weapons, placing his swords lightly on the glass table beside his kunai and shuriken pouches.

Slowly, he removed the white porcelain mask to reveal a face mask which covered his lower face and large and expressive cerulean eyes.

Silently, he vanished into his bedroom, the door closing with a soft click behind him.

A soft golden light seeped through the window as the sun rose…

Kakashi noted the three gennin on the bridge and he dropped down in front of the three. Almost instantly, his nose picked up the scent of blood around the blonde. _It looks like someone made a kill last night_, he thought.

"You're late!" Sakura yelled.

Kakashi smiled and said, "I'm sorry, but I got lost!"

"Liar!" Sakura yelled.

Naruto snorted and rolled his eyes.

Kakashi smiled. His brats were as lively as ever, and life was good. Che, yeah right! Kakashi led the way off the bridge for Team 7's first mission of the day, and distantly, he wondered why the hell was he putting himself through this torture?

_**---**He was warm… Whatever he was lying on was warm and soft…_

_Something was beeping in the background…_

_He opened his eyes and closed them with a groan. It was bright. Far too bright. Warm hands fingers brushed over his forehead._

"_Naruto?" the voice was deep, warm, and rough with worry._

_He knew that voice… Kakashi…_

"_Can you hear me Naruto?"_

_Iruka?_

"_Naruto?"**---**_

"Naruto!"

Naruto jerked, forcefully ejecting himself from his thoughts. He glanced up, and locked eyes with Kakashi's worried one-eyed gaze.

"Are you feeling alright?" the jounin asked, "We've been calling you for the past few minutes!"

Naruto swallowed hard and nodded. "I'm fine."

His vision was blurry, and he remembered another moment similar to this one… No! That time was past, the past wouldn't repeat itself! He wouldn't allow it!

"I'm fine," he repeated. "I'm fine…"

Sakura and Sasuke were in the background, watching them, he noted. Sakura's face as open as ever, it was too easy to know that she was worried. Sasuke stood next to her, his face and eyes blank, but the tension in his shoulders gave away his feelings. Naruto shook his head and forced himself to smile, all too aware that his smile was too wide and too fake.

He ran toward them, chattering about everything and nothing, even as he drapped an arm over Sakura and Sasuke's shoulders, smiling widely. Sakura smiled tentatively in return, her eyes relieved, and Sasuke's lips twitched as he shrugged off his arm and turned away.

Kakashi frowned.

Naruto didn't look back. He faced forward, still smiling, his eyes narrowed into slits, hiding the pain. Unnoticed, a single tear slipped from his eyes and down whiskered cheeks, and hung in the air, a sparkling jewel in the sun before it hit the ground.

Only Kakashi noticed the tear, and if Naruto noticed the droplet from his traitorous eyes, he never showed it.

_**---**He was dying… He could feel the life leaving his body as his life pooled around him. A familiar chakra flared from nearby, and with tremendous effort, he turned his head toward the door._

"_Naruto!"_

_The door was flung violently open as the dark figure rushed in, silver hair glinting in the moonlight. He grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him close._

"_Don't die, Naruto! I love you! Please don't die!"_

_His lips curved._

_Kakashi… _

_His eyes slid shut… And there was only darkness and the echoing cry…_

"_Naruto!!!"**---**_


	12. Chapter 11

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**Chapter 11: Many Meetings: The Oracle's Twelve Gather!**

Naruto sat on the Hokage Monument, tucked in between the images of the Yondaime and the Sandaime. He stared out over the village pensively. He didn't so much as twitch as a familiar chakra approached him.

"So what do you see?" Jiraiya said calmly.

"What am I supposed to see?" he asked.

"Will you participate in the Chunnin Exams?"

"I'm tempted not to," Naruto admitted. "Knowing what will come, I can postpone Sasuke receiving the Curse Seal from Orochimaru if Team 7 doesn't participate. But if Sasuke doesn't receive the Curse Seal, the other Twelve won't realize their potential, and the Seven will never fully gather."

"Do you know the Seven?"

"I do. I've come in contact with them all at some point."

"May I enquire when?"

Naruto smiled softly and leaned back against the stone. "Does it matter?" He glanced at the sky and stood. "The Twelve have begun to gather, and the Seven are acquainted with one another due to a common link. But if you truly wish to actively identify the Twelve, then look to the Chunnin Exams and you will find them there."

* * *

"Yo!" Kakashi held out several papers. "I've nominated you lot for the Chunnin Exams! Fill out these forms and report to the Academy, room 312 tomorrow if you're participating."

The gennin took the forms and Kakashi vanished in a plume of smoke. Naruto folded up the paper and slipped it into his pouch and left without a word to his teammates. He didn't need the Yochigan to know that Sasuke and Sakura would participate. He vanished into the forest.

* * *

"Naruto-nii-san! Will you play ninja with us?"

Oh yes, Naruto sighed. The joys of having the Hokage's grandson follow him around. He turned around to smile indulgently at the three children he had come to see as younger siblings.

"Play ninja?" Sakura's shrill voice cut through the air like a hot knife through butter. "What kind of ninja plays ninja? Then again, it should help you since you're such an idiot, Naruto."

"Don't call Nii-san an idiot, billboard brows!" Konohamaru yelled, "Besides, what would you know about Naruto-nii-san, you flat-chested hag!"

"Why you little…" Sakura snarled, cracking her knuckles.

"Konohamaru," Naruto said, "I suggest you run."

And run they did. Until…

"That hurt… you brat."

Naruto sighed. _I suppose I'll have to stop this before it goes too far… _"Kankuro of Sand," he said firmly, "I must request that you cease manhandling the Hokage's Grandson."

Kankuro's eyes widened and he dropped the boy and smirked. "Well then, I'll just have to take my frustrations out on you, won't I, midget?"

A rock hit him in the face and Kankuro glared. "Who did that?!"

And there in a nearby tree was Uchiha Sasuke, an arrogant smirk on his face, toying with a stone.

"Kankuro…" a cold voice said, "You shame our village."

A red haired boy with the character "Ai" on his forehead and a large gourd on his back hung from a branch, radiating killing intent.

"Ga-Gaara…" Temari whispered. Gaara vanished from the tree in a swirl of sand and reappeared on the ground.

"Have you forgotten the plan?" he said.

"N-no… Gaara…" Kankuro said, fear evident in his eyes.

Naruto sighed. _Yare, yare, things really don't change do they?_

"I will kill you if you mess up. Let's go," Gaara turned and started to coolly walk away.

"By the way... Your name... what is it?" asked Sasuke.

"You mean me?" said the girl hopefully.

"No. I mean the one with the gourd."

"... Gaara. Sabaku no Gaara. I'm also interested in yours and the blond one. What are your names?"

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"Uzumaki Naruto."

"Interesting... Kankurou, Temari, let's go."

Naruto shook his head and vanished.

* * *

Naruto, clad in a black fishnet shirt under a black leather vest with leather fingerless gloves and black leather pants, was the first one to arrive at the Academy, and Sasuke and Sakura showed up ten minutes later.

"Cutting it a bit close are we?" Naruto murmured, "Kakashi-sensei would be so proud."

"Bug off, Naruto!" Sakura snapped. "We're not that late!"

Naruto smiled serenely. "Well, since we're all here, shall we go?"

And so they went. On the second floor, Sasuke confronted the disguised Kotestu and Izumo about the genjutsu, and had a brief altercation with Team Gai. On the third floor, Sasuke and Lee had a quick spar, which was interrupted by Maito Gai, and the three genin moved on to room 312, faintly traumatized by the sight of Gai and Lee's display of "The Flames of Youth."

They found Kakashi leaning against the doors of room 312 reading his book.

He looked up and said, "Yo, I see you all decided to come. I guess I won't have to send you guys home after all."

"Wha-What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"Genin operate in three man teams, accompanied by a jounin supervisor," Naruto said, "it makes sense that if one member of the team does not participate, the other two members of the team will be barred from the exam as well. Kakashi-sensei didn't tell us that we had to take the exam as a team, because he didn't want Sasuke or me to bully Sakura into taking the exam with us, and at the same time, he didn't want Sakura to feel obligated to come for our sakes even if Sasuke and I didn't do or say anything."

Kakashi nodded, a faint sense of pride welling in his chest. Naruto was growing up. "That's right."

The three genin took a step and Kakashi held out his arm, blocking them. "However, there is still time. You can still turn back and take the next exam in six months."

"We're taking the exams," Sakura said firmly.

"Hnn." Sasuke's stance was confident.

Naruto smiled, "It's decided, Kakashi-sensei. Team Seven is taking the chunnin exms."

Kakashi hesitated, and his eye curved in a smile and he stepped aside. "For the record, I'm proud of you all." And he stepped aside.

"Heh," Sasuke said, "Things are getting interesting."

"Let's go!" Sakura said.

And they opened the door.

"Hi!" Ino latched onto Sasuke's arm. "You're late, Sasuke-kun! I almost thought you weren't going to show up!"

"Grr! Get your filthy hands off of Sasuke-kun, Ino-pig!" Sakura yelled.

"What ar…?" Ino trailed off and stared behind the pink haired genin and whistled. "My god, Naruto, who hit you over the head with the drop dead gorgeous stick?"

Naruto smiled. "That's my own little secret."

Ino smirked and said, "Then can I start a Naruto-In-Leather Fanclub? Cause you look damn hot in that outfit."

Naruto raised an amused eyebrow. "Are you flirting with me?"

"And if I am?"

"Suit yourself," Naruto grinned, "But for the record, I've already got my eye on someone."

"Oh? Any chance that it could be one of us rookies?"

"Nope."

"Damn," Ino pouted. "Ain't that a shame?"

"Ahh… This is so trouble some…" Shikamaru said, walking over, accompanied by Chouji.

"Hey you guys!" another voice called, and Inuzuka Kiba stepped into view, Hyuuga Hinata and Aburame Shino following not far behind. "So it looks like the whole gang is here eh?"

"Including you unfortunately." Shikamaru said with a bored expression as he looked over to the Inuzuka with a silent sigh.

"What was that!" Kiba snarled as his eyes narrowed, fangs showing.

"Would you all do us a favor at shut up?" A new voice cut in, causing all nine of them to turn and look at the silver haired young man who was speaking to them. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he recognized the voice and the person.

"From the looks of things I'd guess you are all would-be hotshots straight out of the academy." He said with a frown. "Wet behind the ears. This is no field trip." He said in all seriousness.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked in a brooding fashion, not at all pleased with being considered amongst the weaklings.

"The name is Kabuto, but you guys should really open your eyes." He said, his words causing all but the blond who was studying the new comer to look around at all the glares from all the other exam participants. "You should be more careful, that group from rain have real short tempers. Heck, everyone here is short fused with the nerves dragged up from the coming exam." He explained.

Naruto ruthlessly squashed the urge to leap on the traitor and rip out his throat. It simply wouldn't do to blow his cover, nor would it do to get Team 7 disqualified before the exam even began.

"Now, as for the sound village... They don't pose much of a threat. The only thing you should watch out for is their attitud-"

The gray-haired "Genin" was interrupted by a swipe from a ninja who was covered in bandages, which he seemed to have dodged easily. The rookies (Except Naruto, who feigned his surprise) were surprised to see that Kabuto then coughed up blood.

"Write this in your pathetic cards... We sound-nin are stronger than you think," he growled and walked away.

"These exams are getting a lot tougher than I thought... maybe I should just quit…" whispered Ino to herself. Sakura seemed to be thinking along those lines.

Naruto rolled his eyes. He new what he had to do… Of course, he first had to fight dawn the urge to gag…

* * *

Ibiki watched as the genin sweated under his eyes, and found his eyes drawn toward the Kyuubi vessel, one Uzumaki Naruto. The boy was looking over the paper, studying the questions, and as if feeling Ibiki's gaze on him, looked up. Their eyes locked and Ibiki suddenly found himself drowning in pure blue eyes.

_Damn brat caught me in some sort of genjutsu,_ Ibiki thought lazily. _The brat has guts._

"_Why, it's me! Orochimaru!"_

"_You… you succeeded in… Your existence is an abomination!"_

Ibiki tore his gaze away from the crystalline blue of the Jinchuuriki at the sound of the Sandaime's voice. His eyes widened in horror.

He was standing on the roof of the Hokage's Balcony at the stadium where the Third Exam would take place. Beside him was the ANBU Commander in his white cloak, two other ANBU dressed in their black cloaks beside him. Before Ibiki was a barrier, inside which four people stood. He recognized them all, for one was the Snake Sannin, Orochimaru, and on either side of him stood the resurrected Shodai and Nidaime Hokage, whose faces were carved onto the mountain that defended Konoha's rear. Facing off against them was the Sandaime, who looked old and frail in his armor, surrounded by the trees grown by the Shodai.

"What is this?!" Ibiki demanded of the ANBU Commander. To his ire, the Commander neither looked at him nor answered him.

"He cannot hear you," a calm voice said from behind him. "We have no substance here."

Ibiki turned and stared at the boy, dressed in white, the seven pronged star rotating slowly as trails of blood ran down whiskered cheeks.

"You are… Oracle…" Ibiki whispered.

The Oracle smiled and said softly, "This is a vision of what will come, an inevitable confrontation in the future. For the duration of the Chunnin Exams, you will be my Mouth. Let the Sandaime know that he _must_ declare a successor. The future of the Hidden Leaf depends on it."

The image wavered and Ibiki blinked. He suddenly found himself back in the exam room, and Uzumaki Naruto was seated in the middle of the room, his face a mask of panic.

_What was that?_ Ibiki wondered.

"_For the duration of the Chunnin Exams, you will be my Mouth…"_

Ibiki shook his head and checked the time. He raised an eyebrow. _It's been thirty minutes since the Exam began? Was I really under the influence of the Oracle for that long?_

"_The future of the Hidden Leaf depends on it."_

Did it? Did the future of their beautiful village truly depend on whether or not the Sandaime designated an Heir?

…_the boy, dressed in white, the seven pronged star rotating slowly in his eyes as trails of blood ran down whiskered cheeks._

Only the Hokage and his or her heir and the leaders of the ANBU as well as the Elder and Head Council were allowed to know what identified the Oracle. Ibiki had known Kazama Chizuru, the previous Oracle. They had been a part of the same Genin Squad under the tutelage of Uchiha Yashiro, and more than once, her bleeding eyes saved them, though she had flung herself off the mountain when the strain of the Yochigan grew too much for her to bear.

_This is a vision of what will come, an inevitable confrontation in the future._

The Oracle never lied, Ibiki knew. "Time's up!" he yelled. He would serve the current Oracle as he had the previous. "Prepare yourselves for the tenth question!"

His eyes locked with Naruto's once more, and he nodded slightly, a near imperceptible motion. The boy's—no—the Oracle's lips twitched, and Ibiki found himself fighting the urge to smile broadly.

"First, we will lay down several more rules!"

He would serve. He would serve the Oracle who had saved the Leaf so often in the past. He would serve and be honored to have been given the chance twice in a lifetime. He would serve.


	13. Chapter 12

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**A/N:** Ok, in this chapter, things will get a little complicated and confusing. Firstly, to show the strain that the Yochigan is putting on Naruto, I'll be writing several different versions of visions that Naruto sees at once while simultaneously writing what is happening punctuated with the vision that best matches and predicts what is taking place in the metaphysical world.

**Chapter 12: Inside the Forest of Death**

Anko was faintly surprised to find that 27 teams were still in the room. Either the kids were braver than they had thought, or they were pretty stupid, or Ibiki had been too soft on them. _Or_, she thought, noticing the distracted look on the man's face, _it could be because something is distracting him._

"All right brats! I'm Mitarashi Anko, the second Examiner! Meet me at Training Area 44 in one hour!"

Naruto shrugged and stood up with the other genin and waved at Haku who smiled back before leaving with Sakura and Sasuke.

Anko turned toward Ibiki and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"The Oracle has returned to Konoha," was his response.

* * *

Naruto stood lightly at the gate, his eyes a pale shade of lilac while a golden seven pronged star rotated slowly.

He turned toward Sasuke and Sakura and said, "We'll travel high and silent. Humans rarely look up; we can use that to our advantage."

Sasuke raised and eyebrow and nodded. He couldn't really argue with Naruto's logic at this point, although he was somewhat suspicious of the sudden change in the blonde's attitude.

Haku watched Team 7 as Naruto's eyes changed as he searched time for the best possible route through the forest. He reached out tentatively and Naruto turned toward him.

"What is it Haku?"

The question drew the attention of the other members of Team seven onto the chunnin. Haku grimaced, then said, "What did you do to Ibiki-san?"

Naruto smiled. "Nothing that hasn't been done before. Don't worry about it."

Just then, Anko yelled, "Hajime!"

And several bells rang and the gates opened. The genin vanished into the forest leaving Haku to stare after them…

* * *

Naruto paused once in the cover of the trees, and swiftly performed Kage bushin and henge and thirty copies of Team 7 materialized, and he sent them out in different directions. He left, easily catching up with his teammates.

* * *

Somewhere in the forest, Orochimaru growled as he found that the team he had cornered were once again, Kage Bushin.

"Damn it all to hell," he snarled. "How many of those decoys are there?! This is the tenth set in the past twelve hours!"

* * *

Naruto was on watch while the rest of Team 7 slept. The brush around the camp rustled, and three Kage Bushin slipped into the camp, each one setting down two pairs of scrolls before vanishing in puffs of smoke. Naruto carefully stored the scrolls away, and placed a heaven and an earth scroll in front of Sasuke before leaning against a tree.

* * *

Naruto's eyes twitched as his senses picked up a sudden surge of chakra…

_**---**…and a gust of wind blew through the clearing. Naruto sent out several wires to hold Team 7 in place, to keep them from being blown away. He himself glued himself to the ground with chakra. A fist flew into his gut and he was thrown back, and his head hit a tree with a sickening crack…**---**_

…and he found himself flinging out wires attached to shuriken and kunai to bind his team, preventing them from being blown away…

_**---**…and he channeled chakra to his feet, but was too late, and he was blown away. Once he landed, he was devoured by a snake and he quickly performed Kage Bushin to destroy the snake…**---**_

…and quickly formed a bushin in the trees and performed Kawarimi with it…

_**---**…only to find himself face to face with…**---**_

…"Kabuto-san?"

_**---**…Kabuto who smiled, pushing his glasses higher on his nose. "Hello Naruto-kun…" he said…**---**_

_**---**…and Naruto felt a kick connect with his abdomen and was thrown back into the clearing where Orochimaru had confronted Sasuke and Sakura. The snake sannin looked down at Naruto who had landed at his feet…**---**_

Kabuto smiled faintly, "Are you all right, Naruto-kun?" he asked reaching down…

_**---**…to pull out a kunai which he raised into the air, a malicious smile on his face…**---**_

_**---**…before several kunai shot from the trees and blood splattered Naruto's face as Orochimaru stumbled back…**---**_

…to pull Naruto to his feet.

"Ah… I'm sorry," Naruto said urgently, "But I need to get back to my team and make sure that they're all alright…"

_**---**…Orochimaru jerked and Anko and several ANBU swooped down to grab Team 7 and shot away with them…**---**_

_**---**…Anko stood over several bodies flipping through papers, Kotestu, Izumo, and Duo at her side… "Send the ANBU into the forest…" she said…**---**_

…Kabuto smiled understandingly. "I see. Be careful then, Naruto-kun…"

"Aa… Arigato.." Naruto said, and leapt away through the trees…

_**---**…The Sandaime stood at the window of the Hokage Tower, smoking his pipe and watching as the children played below…**---**_

_**---**…Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma making bets with the other jounin sensei from Konoha about which teams would make it out of the Forest of Death…**---

* * *

**_

_**---**…Orochimaru marked Sasuke and left. Several minutes later, Naruto arrived, ragged and wounded, his clothes ripped and covered in more than a little blood…**---**_

"Are you alright, Sakura-chan?" he said. "I'm sorry I took so long to get back, I was a bit disoriented after I landed, and I came as quickly as I could without getting lost or caught in another team's traps…"

* * *

Naruto rubbed his temples as…

_**---**…Why are you doing this Kazekage-dono?!"**---**_

…the Sandaime explained that too many people had passed, and due to time constrainst preliminary matches must be held. Behind him…

_**---**…A young blonde man laughed. "Jiraiya-sensei got caught doing his 'research' again, that's all…" Sandaime smiled fondly. "Is that so, Arashi?" he said, "and I suppose you had nothing to do with Jiraiya's getting caught?"**---**_

…Ibiki frowned. He said softly into his headset, "Look at your student Kakashi."

"I know," Kakashi answered softly. "He's loosing control of the Yochigan…"

"The question now stands," Anko murmured, "which member of Team 7 should we worry more about? Uchiha, who was marked by Orochimaru's cursed seal, or Uzumaki, who is now the Oracle?"

"We watch for both," Kakashi said, "Sensei once told me that a rogue Oracle can cause just as much damage, if not more, than a compromised shinobi…"


	14. Chapter 13

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**A/N:** To answer one of the questions brought up in one of the reviews, First, Orochimaru would be quite interested in the Yochigan. He just hasn't considered that a male Kazama might have it, and when he attacked Team 7, he wasn't even aware that Naruto even had the Yochigan, hence the lack of action on his part where Naruto was concerned.

Second, the Kyuubi did promise to help, but in return, he gets a corporeal body and time outside of the seal. As it is, the Kyuubi is trying to stem the flow of visions, regulate so Naruto isn't overwhelmed by them, and simultaneously repair the damage that occurs to Naruto's eyes every time a vision hits him over the head unexpectedly.

Then, it's not that Naruto couldn't find a future in which Sasuke didn't get a curse seal, it's just that none of them were good, and even if there was one that could benefit the future, Naruto wouldn't have gotten there in time to put it into effect. Basically, for a Kazama to put one of the visions into effect they would have to physically force time and fate into the position they want the stream to flow in, otherwise, things will just continue in its original path.

**Chapter 13: The Point of No Return**

The Preliminaries sped by almost too quickly. For Naruto, who was busy trying to stay alive when facing one Inuzuka Kiba and his ninken, Akamaru, while simultaneously trying to keep his eyes from overloading his brain, the match could not have possibly ended soon enough. Naruto's Yochigan was fluctuating fast and hard, and he knew that the loss of control was normal, even if others didn't know it. Any Kazama recognized the fluctuation as normal for a new Yochigan user, and normally, it was less noticeable since it took place in the privacy of their homes while other Yochigan users helped to regulate the flow of images through time. Naruto, had no such privilege, though he had the Kyuubi, and that, he thought, was better than nothing.

Kiba, on the other had, recognized the pale iris, the rotating seven pronged star, and the bleeding eyes for what it was, a newly activated dojutsu that was adjusting itself to accommodate the limits of the user. While he understood to some small extent what Naruto was going through, he wasn't going to go easy just because the blonde was struggling. Kiba was many things, but he wasn't an idiot, he had no idea what the eyes could do, and so long as Naruto had trouble with his eyes, the greater the chance for his victory.

The older generation had been familiar with the Yochigan, and all of them recognized the Yochigan for what it was. In the balconies, Orochimaru was all but salivating at the thought of having a Yochigan user under his control, and berating himself for not marking the boy when he had the chance. Of course, now, that chance was out the window and getting farther and farther out of his reach as time went on, and Naruto was slowly getting used to the double vision and the flashes of images and voices.

But there was a chance, Orochimaru knew, that maybe the boy would disregard the warning of his eyes for Sasuke's sake. If he could get Uzumaki Naruto to come with him in return for allowing Sasuke to exist as a member of the Sound Village instead of becoming his vessel… Yes, it was a good plan. Maybe he would have to wait for Sasuke or Itachi to breed more Sharingan users to gain the Mirror-Wheel Eyes, but to have an Oracle's eyes at his disposal…

A cruel and self-satisfied smile crossed Orochimaru's lips.

Yes, that plan would work very well…

He wouldn't realize his mistake until later…

Because at this time, Uzumaki Naruto cared so much for Uchiha Sasuke that he was more than a little inclined to kill him rather than let him live long enough to defect from Konohagakure no Sato…

* * *

_**---**"…stop trying to act all cool!" Kiba yelled, lunging toward him, claws outstreached…**---**_

Naruto smirked and leaned out of the way of Kiba's hands, grabbing the Inuzuka's wrist, shifting his weight, and hefted Kiba over his shoulder. Kiba…

_**---**…noted the wall and prepared to hit the wall with his feet to lung for Naruto who was caught off guard and hit the opposite wall, and collapsed onto all fours, winded. "You're such a looser," Kiba sneered at Naruto…**---**_

…who reappeared suddenly in front of him, and Kiba found a fist buried deeply into his gut. Another fist buried itself in his gut, and another, and another, and then a kick to his side sent him flying toward the other side of the arena.

Kiba flipped and skidded across the floor, and he glared angrily at Naruto.

"How did you do that?" he demanded, "It was almost as if you knew what I was going to do!"

Naruto's lips quirked. "Why," he said, his voice ringing throughout the arena, a gentle soothing sound filled with amusement and age old wisdom, "do you ask questions to which you already know the answer?"

The occupants of the room shivered as the gentle warmth in the voice wrapped around them, sifting through their very beings, penetrating and stripping away all physical trappings and appearances till it seemed that their very souls had been laid bare. All felt as though a heavy weight had settled onto their shoulders, and only the Oracle knew that what they felt on their shoulders was the burden of their destinies.

Kiba shook off the disturbing sensation and yelled, with as much bravado as he could muster, "I wouldn't be asking if I didn't know, you idiot!"

Naruto laughed, a sweet, tinkling sound reminiscent of the ringing of many bells, and the sound lifted the darkened spirits of those within the room. "You answered your own question mere moments before, Inuzuka Kiba," Naruto said, dropping wordlessly into a defensive stance.

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "That's it, what are you doing now?"

Naruto said nothing, his pale eyes all but glowing as the rotation of the star sped up, and the trails of blood on his face began to dry and crack.

_**---**…Kiba stared at him, unnerved, and Akamaru barked. "What?!" Kiba glared at his ninken. "I'm not giving up against this dobe!" Akamaru barked some more. "No!" He's put some sort of genjutsu on me, that's all, its nothing to worry about, besides, he's just acting!" Akamaru barked some more and Kiba snapped and charged at the blonde. "What did you do to Akamaru you bastard!" he yelled, throwing a punch at Naruto…**---**_

…whose hand came up and stopped the punch mere inches from his face…

_**---**…and Kiba's leg came up…**---**_

…to be intercepted by Naruto's free hand…

_**---**…Kiba's free hand moved toward Naruto's gut…**---**_

..and Naruto pushed aside Kiba's leg and intercepted the punch and lashed out with a foot…

_**---**…sending Kiba flying back. Kiba skidded across the floor, his hand reaching for a kunai…**---**_

…only to grasp at air. He looked up to see Naruto toss Kiba's kunai holster over his shoulder.

"What the hell!?"

"Is that all you're capable of, Inuzuka Kiba?" Naruto said, and his voice was suddenly the rumbling of the earth and the roaring of the fire, filled with disappointment.

Those in the balconies shivered at the anger and disapproval in the blonde's voice. Kiba himself quailed, and had he a tail, it would have drooped to hang between his legs, and had he a dog's ears, they would have drooped to lie back in unhappy disappointment with his own shortcoming…

Wait a minute…

Kiba's eyes snapped up to glare at the blonde, and his hands came together in a ram seal, and as he gathered chakra, yelled, "Kai!"

The arena blurred, and there was a crack and the smell of scorched ozone, indicators of a broken genjutsu.

In the stands, several people blinked in confusion. Had they really been under a genjutsu the entire time?

Naruto smiled slightly as the seven pronged star in his eyes slowed their rotation. "You broke the genjutsu too late, I'm afraid," he said, shifting so his right foot was slightly behind his left foot and his weight was supported by his right leg, and holding his outstretched left arm parallel to the ground, his palm out, and his right arm curled into a loose fist at his side. "My eyes have settled. The mist has cleared, and my Sight is unimpaired. This match ends here."

All who had ever seen even one Kazama in battle recognized the stance.

It was the Kazama Clan's most devastating taijutsu style. The style named for the Divine Sword which the Kazamas believed was the true form of the Oracle. The most powerful of all taijutsu for it was complimented by the Yochigan, which only another Yochigan could counter; an impossibility since there was only one Yochigan user in existence at any time. It was the Oracle's devastating Shinken Style.

The adults knew at that moment, without a doubt that the winner of this match would be Uzumaki Naruto, and Orochimaru saw his plans for the Yochigan collapse in flames…


	15. Chapter 14

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**A/N:** There have been several questions about the discrepancy in the color of the clothing that Naruto wore in the previous chapter in comparison to the clothes he wore when he first entered the Academy for the Chunnin Exams. I'm sorry if I confused anyone, but the difference was intentional. Normally, it's not in a shinobi's best interests to wear bright colors. Naruto knew it, but did it anyway for several years because it was what people expected of him. He changed his clothes for the Chunnin Exams because he wanted to blend in, and altered the color when he put Orochimaru under an illusion because he wanted Orochimaru to spot him quickly. Also, once Naruto began to use the Yochigan to weave an illusion, it allowed him to blend into the illusion, making it more difficult for Orochimaru to pinpoint where he was and retaliate. In which case, if Orochimaru had a strong enough will and enough chakra, he could possibly destroy the illusion by using a purely chakra based attack to distract or disable Naruto.

Yes, yes, it's cool that Naruto is imitating Itachi, but he's not going to be doing it again, and if he does, it won't be often. A Yochigan in a male is like a Mangekyou Sharingan and damages the eyes. Kyuubi might be able to heal the damages, but if the Yochigan is used for too long, or to create intricate illusions, Naruto's eyes will be damaged faster than Kyuubi can heal.

No, the village doesn't realize the Naruto is the Oracle. No, they don't notice Ibiki playing the part of a servant, because neither Ibiki nor Naruto advertise the fact, and they both go out of their way to hide it. Yes, the Sandaime knows, because he is the Hokage, and Ibiki, serving as the Oracle's Voice during the exams gave him a message from the Oracle.

**Trivia About the Mouth of the Oracle:** Previously, when there were many Kazamas residing in Konoha, someone from the Oracle's age group would be selected by the Oracle to be their Mouth, preferably from the same team, and other Kazamas may train them while the eyes settle. Because the Only Kazama during this story is Naruto, he chose Ibiki because he had served the previous Oracle, and so, he already knew the duties of a Mouth. Also, during this time, neither the Rookie Genin or the previous year's genin are suited to the position, so selecting Ibiki was more of a matter of practicality and necessity rather than tradition. A Mouth may be selected from Naruto's age group and trained by Ibiki (who, beside Naruto, is possibly the only person capable of the job) later in the story.

**Trivia about Kageyomi:** Wonderful as the Kageyomi is, it's not to be used often. As stated earlier, the Yochigan in male heir is like the Mangekyou, and damages the eyes. Normally the Kageyomi is used by the Oracle to give out instructions or to communicate when time is of the essence. Naruto torturing someone with Kageyomi is not going to happen often, though he may use it to warn someone about what is to come, or to pass a message like in the first exam. Kageyomi is the Oracle's best tool, and their worst nightmare. Unlike Tsukiyomi, Kageyomi can be broken. If the person under the effects of the Kageyomi has the same amount of chakra as the caster, they can somewhat fight the effect. If they have a little more, they can break the Kageyomi all together. But since Naruto is the vessel of the Kyuubi, who is a kitsune, the Kageyomi takes on aspects of the illusions that kitsune cast. For one, they can become a reality, and may be broken by a touch from a person of faith. If it does happen, it will cause massive psychological damage to Naruto and/or Kyuubi, since in essence, their reality will have collapsed around them. It is a theory among Oracles that the Kageyomi can be broken by another Yochigan user, but that as only one Oracle exists at any one time, it remains untested.

To whomever who had requested more of Naruto in Hunter mode, this chapter is your dream come true. And there will some classic SasuNaru moments in this chapter as well. Enjoy!

**Chapter 14: The Hunter and the Traitor**

"_Brat,"_ the Kyuubi said, as Naruto made his way up toward the balconies, _"You might want to release the eyes. It's damaging the eyes faster than I can heal them."_

Naruto blinked. _"Thanks Kyuubi,"_ he thought.

"_No problem, brat."_

Naruto quickly pulled the chakra out of his eyes, and there was a faint itching as his eyes shifted back to its normal cerulean. It was with a faint, cool smile that he leaned against the railing of the balcony to watch Hinata and Neji's fight.

* * *

The preliminaries ended swiftly, and exactly as Naruto remembered. He sighed and stood with the other participants as the Hokage told them about the month they had off, and where to go for Third Exam. After the Sandaime dismissed them, Naruto turned his head and locked eyes with the golden ones belonging to Orochimaru. His eyes flashed with the Yochigan, one, twice, three times, and the Sannin froze. Several seconds later, Naruto wobbled, and Ibiki caught and supported him as he lowered his head, panting heavily. On the balcony, Orochimaru stood still, his eyes wide and unseeing.

"Takusen-sama?" Ibiki said quietly, "are you alright?"

Naruto brought his breathing under control and straightened and said calmly, "I'm fine. I simply need to rest."

"Then allow me to escort you home, My Lord."

Naruto nodded, and he and Ibiki bowed to the Sandaime, and Ibiki placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, and they vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Ibiki stayed long enough to ensure that the exhausted genin did not break his neck preparing for bed, and left. Naruto curled up happily under the coverlet and closed his eyes…

_**---**Kakashi landed lightly on the roof and reached out with a gloved hand and…**---**_

…Naruto opened his eyes irritably and sat up, opening the window just as the jounin was about to knock.

"What do you need, sensei?" he said, covering up a yawn.

Kakashi's visible eye curved in a smile. "Nothing. I just wanted to see how my most surprising student is doing."

Naruto gave the jounin a hard look and said, "And you've seen him. Now what are you going to do?"

Kakashi smiled and said, "This," and he disappeared in a puff of chakra smoke.

Naruto blinked and muttered, "I could have sworn he wanted something more than just to see how I was. He didn't have to knock on the window and exchange meaningless words for that…" he yawned and closed the window. "Meh, whatever…"

He was asleep in seconds, blissfully unaware of the cycloptic jounin perched on the opposite roof, his eye fixed on the slumbering blonde…

* * *

A dark figure crouched on the roof, almost froglike as he watched his prey wander the street below, a bag of groceries in his hand. Pale cerulean eyes watched from behind a black porcelain mask as his prey turned a corner, and he took a calculated fall into the trees.

* * *

Kabuto sensed a slight flare of chakra as a masked figure landed in front of him, and shot off into the darkness. The silver haired nin blinked slightly in confusion and shrugged, hefting the paper bag filled with the makings of dinner, and moved on. The Elites of Konoha were constantly on the move, especially considering how many people were pouring into the Village due to the chunnin exams. He never realized that he was caught in an illusion, and that in actuality, his body was standing in the street, eyes wide and unseeing, arms limp at his sides, the bag of groceries on the floor, a carton of eggs open and broken, and the vegetables and bread and meat scattered at his feet.

Kabuto never noticed when a senbon vanished into his heart or the three kunai that severed his spinal column and jugular vein. He was dead even as his neck was snapped and his head turned 180 degrees post-mortum.

The Hunter took no chances that the Oto spy would regenerate, and much as he would like to remove the head as insurance, it would not do to have the cadaver dripping blood all over the floor of the Hokage's Office…

* * *

The next morning dawned, and the Hokage entered his office to find a black robed figure, the white, undecorated mask of the oinin concealing all but clear cerulean eyes, a limp figure clad in grey and blue slung over a slender shoulder.

"Zeiguwa-kun?" the Sandaime said.

Zeiguwa shifted slightly, and the limp form of Yakushi Kabuto hit the floor at the Hokage's feet.

The Sandaime's eyes darkened with sadness. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You did say that you would kill him."

"I will not allow a traitor to wander freely through this village," a cool voice said, slightly muffled by the mask. "But Hokage-sama, you are getting old. It is time you selected a successor. The Tournament takes place in a week. Find a Godaime before then. Until a successor is selected, I can do no more."

"I see…" the Sandaime sighed. "Even the Oracle has limits. It will be as you say."

Zeiguwa nodded and moved as if to pick up the corpse.

"Leave it."

The featureless white mask tilted slightly in question.

"The ANBU will deal with it."

Three ANBU appeared from the shadows. Zeiguwa nodded and straightened, and with a slight incline of his head, he was gone.

Two days later, Tsunade agreed to become the Godaime…


	16. Chapter 15

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**Chapter 15: The Future which is Hidden**

There were many things that made predicting the future more than a few days away difficult. For one, it was because there were so many choices that a human could make that could so drastically change things, either leading to the next course of action, or rendering that action non-existent, or even postponing it to a later time. Another was the unpredictability of a human, with so much chaos existing in a single person, not even Kami could accurately predict how a human would react. With so many possible futures to sort through, it was always a chore for the Yochigan wielder to pierce the mists of time, and while looking through the past was significantly easier, there were still the possibilities that had existed that had to be moved aside, and to look into the future, well, the procedure for that in itself is a big mess. And the medics of the Hidden Leaf wondered why every generation of Oracles always seemed to go insane or commit suicide…

* * *

Sasuke made his way through the silent house, setting his equipment on the table as he went. A silent figure clad in shades of black appeared before him, the undecorated white mask almost glowing in the dim light of the moon pouring through the window. His eyes widened, recognizing the Hunter as the same one who had chased Haku out of the forest when Team 7 had gone to Wave Country.

"You're…" he began, only to be cut off by the Hunter.

"Forgive me, Uchiha Sasuke-san," the Hunter said, "But this is for your own good."

The next thing Sasuke knew, the Hunter was in front of him, and he was doubled over the Hunter's fist. The last Uchiha gasped and coughed and darkness swallowed him. Zeiguwa grabbed the boy before he hit the floor and hefted him over a shoulder and vanished. There was no chakra residue, no puff of air rushing to a recently vacated spot, no smoke, and no flickering.

Several kilometers away, on the other side of the village, Uchiha Sasuke was checked into the hospital by Zeiguwa…

* * *

The full moon drifted overhead, bathing the abandoned district in a silver light. The red and white Uchiha fan on the tallest building had a pale, washed out appearance, lending a silent eeriness to the long empty Uchiha District. A hunter leaned against the wall of the house normally occupied by one Uchiha Sasuke, his form barely visible in the shadows. A faint ripple of chakra was all that gave away his presence, and even so, the faint ripple was so slight that it could easily be mistaken for the chakra of the surrounding fauna and flora.

A six armed figure scuttled through the shadows, and the Hunter watched with dispassionate blue eyes as his prey passed by him. There was a faint whisper of chakra and a quiet poof as the Hunter vanished. The six armed figure stiffened and turned, looking around for the source of the sound. After having found nothing, Kidoumaru moved on, considerably more aware of his surroundings…

* * *

Several minutes later, a window opened and the six armed figure scuttled into a house. He gave the house a cursory search and cursed softly when it became evident that the house was empty. He exited the same way he came.

Orochimaru would not be pleased…

* * *

Zeiguwa crouched froglike on the roof, watching as Kidoumaru scuttled away. Unseen behind his mask, a predatory smile crossed his lips, and he rose to his feet and took a calculated fall into the trees. Another cursed child would die tonight…

* * *

Kidoumaru flinched when the dark figure of one of Konoha's masked elites appeared before him. The figure wore an unadorned white mask and a single black coat with slits down the sides through which Kidoumaru could see the kunai and senbon holsters strapped to his thighs. He could just barely make out the concealed daggers hidden in the sleeves and the hilts of the blades on the Hunter's back. Only the Konoha symbol on the forehead of the mask gave away that this was a Konoha-nin.

Kidoumaru panicked for a moment, wondering if the Hunter had discovered his reason for being there before reassuring himself that a foreign visitor would get lost if unfamiliar with the area. There was nothing to fear. He was just a visitor who had gotten "lost", and the ninja would understand and escort the "lost" visitor back to the main roads. Somehow, his instincts told him that it wasn't true…

"Kon'banwa, Ninja-san," Kidoumaru said politely, pleased that his voice didn't give away his unease.

The Hunter said nothing, and simply stood there, watching the six armed teen.

Kidoumaru coughed. "Ano… I kinda got lost…" he said with a sheepish smile, "Would you mind…"

The Hunter nodded and turned, motioning with a hand for Kidoumaru to follow him. The Oto-nin sighed in relief. It seemed that the ninja believed him after all…

He relaxed too soon. Zeiguwa spun around and lashed out with a knife, and Kidoumaru's head hit the ground with a thump, his body following a second later. Zeiguwa cleaned and sheathed the knife and scoffed in derision as he thought back to the teen's excuse.

The Uchiha District was set far apart from the rest of the village, and had large walls and gates which were locked most of the time except for the main gate which was almost always open. A child may occasionally wander in by accident, but otherwise, even a foreign civilian visitor knew better than to wander through the gate, after all, the massive walls and gate all but screamed "Private property".

"Pathetic," Zeiguwa said softly, and set to work destroying the corpse…

* * *

There was a minor uproar in the village when it was discovered that Uchiha Sasue had been checked into the hospital. While the crazy, rabid, fan-girls were busy obsessing over the object of their affections, the Hunter responsible was taking a thorough tongue lashing from the Hokage about the incident.

Directly after he left the Hokages office, Zeiguwa sought out the sannin Jiraiya, and with creative use of a genjutsu, conned the perverted sannin into teaching him. Simply to pass time, of course, and the fact that it would also serve as a cover for his knowledge from the previous lifetime was only an added benefit.

* * *

Naruto stepped out onto his balcony, the sleeves of his white yukata fluttering gently in the early morning breeze. Pale cerulean eyes stared out over the village as the sky paled with the rising sun, and the birds began to wake and warble their tribute to the morning.

"Ibiki," he said quietly.

"Lord Oracle?" the interrogator said, dropping to stand on the railing beside the boy.

"Have the Hokage call together the jounin and ANBU. The Sandaime and the Sannin are to set up a plan for the invasion that will take place in three days. There is no more that I can do. For this, Konoha must stand upon her own two feet or she will fall."

Ibiki bowed. "As the Oracle wishes," he said, and vanished.

Naruto stood still, watching as the sun rose. "Can you survive what is to come, Konoha, or will you fall to the strength of the Sound? What will you do now?"

* * *

The day of the Third Exam came with a red dawn.

Naruto stood on the top of the Hokage Monument, clad in a black long-sleeved shirt with a high mandarin collar under a thigh length grey sleeveless yukata and a narrow pair of black hakama and the usual black shinobi sandals of a Hunter. On the right shoulder of the black shirt was the leaf shaped emblem of the Hunters. His forearms were protected by thick leather bracers under which two stilettos were sheathed while he wore black fingerless gloves of thin cotton. Two equipment pouches hung from his belt instead of the usual one, and while a kunai holster was strapped to his right thigh, a senbon holster was strapped to his left thigh. The sheaths of two foot long combat knives were strapped to his back, the black silk wrapped handles barely visible over his shoulders. The blank faced mask of a Konoha Hunter with the symbol of the Leaf engraved on the forehead was tilted up onto the side of his head, revealing the Konoha hitae-ate on his forehead. A soft breeze blew past, whipping his clothes about his lithe frame and ruffling his short golden locks. A lightweight black coat worn by Oinin when moving through the village between minor assignments lay folded by his feet, weighted down by the three scrolls that lay on top of it.

"A red dawn," he murmured, "An omen of the day to come. Blood was shed in the night, and more shall be shed today…"

Another Oinin, a female, appeared beside him. "The preparations are complete, Captain. Each target has been marked, and the guards of the foreign ambassadors and delegates have been briefed as to the evacuation plans once the invasion is underway."

Naruto nodded, and slipped the mask off and tucked it into his equipment pouch. He reached down, picked up the scrolls and slipped them into the pouch as the Huntress picked up and shook open the coat and draped it over the blonde's shoulders.

"The cursed children should go first," he said, slipping an arm through the sleeves, "Strike hard and fast. Don't give them a chance to fight back or you will surely die. I will be wearing my communicator, so let me know when the targets have been struck. Let me know if something comes up and I will give the Kyuubi a temporary corporeal form. If he goes on a rampage, a single solid hit in a fatal area or a slight disruption in the chakra flow should undo the jutsu as though he were a Kage Bushin."

The Huntress nodded, and the two ninja vanished.

* * *

Naruto appeared in the stadium in a swirl of leaves, his clothes moving with the flow of his chakra. He glanced around, noting the jounin and ANBU as well as several Hunters moving discretely throughout the stadium to their positions, and was slightly surprised to see Gekkyou Hayate there as well. He remembered from the last time around that the sickly examiner had died before the tournament exam. Despite his surprise, a predatory smile crossed the blonde's lips. If things went according to plan, then perhaps things would change for the better.

* * *

It wasn't long before the other competitors arrived, and soon, the stadium was full, and all the aspiring chunnin had arrived.

An unseen bell tolled, marking the time. Ten o'clock…

Hayate coughed and said, "The Chunnin Selection Exam has begun." The crowd in the stadium began to cheer. "The first match," Hayate said, once the crowd had settled down, "Is between Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Neji. Will the other competitors please leave the Arena?"

As the other competitors departed, Naruto and Neji positioned themselves on either side of Hayate, facing one another. Once all the other competitors were in the competitor's balcony, Hayate turned toward the two boys.

Neji studied the younger genin in front of him and noted the assurance in his stance. The blonde, normally in eye gouging orange had swapped his usual clothes for darker colors more befitting of a ninja. His pale Hyuuga eyes noted the slits on the sides of the blonde's coat, and noted the senbon holster on the blonde's left, and the usual kunai holster on his right, and neither did he miss the handles of the knives hidden under the blonde's coat. Neji smirked. He looked forward to breaking the younger boy.

"You should forfeit," the Hyuuga said, "You can not beat me. A dead last will be forever fated to be dead last."

Naruto smiled serenely. "Can you see it? The threads of Fate that guide our lives—Can you see it?"

Neji sneered. "I don't need to _see_ it to know it," he said, "And Fate has determined that you will fall before me."

Naruto's smile widened slightly. "Oh?" The blonde shifted his right foot back, placing his weight on his right foot. His left arm was held at shoulder height with his palm facing out, and his right hand was fisted at waist level at his side. "Then come," Naruto commanded, "Come and prove to me that you are fated to win."

There were many things that worried the Hokage as he sat in the Kage's Balcony. One was Naruto's ability to hide his identity as a Hunter, and another was the impending invasion in which the Yochigan was of no help. Sarutobi had no doubt that Naruto could see what was to come, but had simply chosen not to speak of it, lest they do something to throw off the future even farther, and he didn't think that it would be in a good way. Sarutobi sighed and leaned back in his chair, taking his mind off the dark speculations of the future by basking in the feeling of Tsunade and Jiraiya both positioned behind him and Orochimaru beside him. It was dangerous, he knew, but he could at least pretend that everything was as it had been for a little while…

Neji was surprised as each of his strikes was blocked by an open palm strike trailing chakra from Naruto. The blonde wasn't using Jyuken, but Neji found that it was next to impossible to hit a tenketsu point on the blonde genin's body without the blonde either closing a major tenketsu point, striking a pressure point, or inflicting shallow cuts along the Hyuuga prodigy's body.

"What's wrong, Hyuuga-san?" Naruto's voice was cold. "I thought you said that Fate would ensure your victory."

Neji snarled in anger. "You know nothing of fate!"

"I know more about Fate than you think…" Naruto said. "Fate aids those who work for it Fate aids those who take their lives into their own hands and makes an attempt to fix things that must be changed! Fate cannot help one who sits still and stagnates. I pity you, Hyuuga, that you cannot see past your hatred to learn the truth…" His eyes changed and a seven pronged golden star appeared in his eyes and began to spin. "I will show you the truth of the fate which you curse so much! Kageyomi!"

_Neji blinked and found himself in a familiar place. "This is…"_

"_No, Hizashi, I will not allow it!"_

"_That voice…" Neji followed the voices to the study of the Hyuuga Head…_

"_Listen to me brother, your children need you yet! I have the seal, if I go, the seal will destroy my Byakugan, and the Cloud will not have our secrets. It's the only way!"_

"_Father…" Neji stared at the warring brothers._

"_I will not allow it! Neji needs you still!"_

"_Yes, but I have the Caged Bird Seal! If I go, the secrets of the Byakugan will stay with the Hyuuga!"_

"_Brother, cease this madness!"_

"_I'm not giving you a choice Hiashi!"_

"_Hizashi… What will I tell Neji?"_

"_The truth brother. Tell him the truth."_

_Neji gaped and his surroundings flickered…_

…and he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, and Neji sank into darkness…

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!" Hayate called.

Naruto shrugged and calmly made his way back to the competitor's balcony. He paid no attention to the medic-nin swarming around Neji and carting him away into the infirmary.

"The next match is between Sabaku no Kankuro and Nara Shikamaru," Hayate said in between coughs. "Will both competitors please enter the arena?"

* * *

And so it went on. Kankuro was caught by Shikamaru's Kagemane, and almost immediately after, Shikamaru forfeited the match claiming chakra exhaustion. Shino was pitted against Gaara, and gave up before the match even started, his kikkai bugs warming him that it was not in his best interest to fight the crazed demon host. Sasuke fought Temari, with Sasuke as the winner. In the second round, Naruto facaed off against Kankuro who surrendered after Naruto caught him in a carefully crafted genjutsu made with the Kyuubi's distinctive chakra interlaced with more than a little killing intent, scaring most of the ninja in the stadium while he was at it.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was not so easily scared off by killing intent. And so the match began, and ended with Sasuke using the Chidori to break through Gaara's ultimate defence. The last Uchiha was satisfied when he felt warm blood trickling through his fingers, although there was the question of where he had hit. He pulled his arm out of the sphere and felt a chill run down his spine when he saw the single golden eye in the hole.

Then an explosion resounded through the stadium, and a voice screamed. "Hokage-sama!"

* * *

The Jounin in the Kage's balcony looked rather sick. It was fairly obvious that they had never felt this much chakra being released before, it certainly didn't help that the Hokage and his students as well as the perceived Kazekage kept raising their chakra.

Then without warning, an explosion took place in the balcony, filling it with smoke. Almost instantly, the Hokage, the Sannin, and the Kazekage were out of their seats and facing each other, their chakra flaring. The jounin knew without a doubt that in this battle, they were all but useless; even so, they would do their duty and help their Hokage in what ways they could…

* * *

In the stands was widespread panic. The kindly face of a stranger enjoying the tournament suddenly became a deadly Sound or Sand nin, intent to kill. Only the ANBU and jounin position through out the stadium kept the enemy nin in line, preventing as many civilian deaths as possible while the chunnin evacuated frightened civilians to safety.

Outside the stadium and all along the walls were ANBU and Hunters along with other jounin and chunin, methodically evacuating civilians and/or killing enemy ninja. The Hunters slipped through the bloody mess and systematically broke down the chain of command for the enemy while the ANBU and other jounin focused on moving the civilians while waiting for the signal.

* * *

Naruto reached a hand into his equipment pouch and was over the railing as soon as the explosion took place. Within seconds, he was in front of the sphere of sand, his Hunter's mask firmly on his face, covering up his distinctive features. The blonde threw a wave of raw chakra at the sand, and it scattered. As the sand shifted, he gathered his chakra, and slammed his hand forward, pressing five glowing fingers into Gaara's shoulder, where the Ichibii's seal was located.

Gaara screamed in pain and collapsed. Zeiguwa nodded at Hayate, grabbed the sand genin and vanished.

Hayate sighed as Baki appeared in front of him, his eyes flashing angrily. "What is your Hunter doing?" the Sand jounin snarled.

"Protecting our village," Hayate said, drawing his blade, "After all, we can't have an unstable Jinchuuriki destroying our village. The fact that we have our own Jinchuuriki to counter yours doesn't help one bit at all since if they got too close, Konoha would be flattened."

The sickly jounin looked over at the shocked and gaping form of Uchiha Sasuke. "I'm sorry Sasuke-kun," he said, "But this exam is over. Best make yourself useful and either go help evacuate the Academy, or make sure those other Sand Genin don't try anything."

Sasuke nodded and darted toward the stadium wall where Temari and Kankuro had just leapt over.

* * *

Orochimaru was quite disappointed. With Kabuto and Kidoumaru's deaths, he had no genjutsu, and no barrier to prevent interference from the outside. He wasn't sure who he hated more, as he looked over his former teammates. His sensei who was weak, not only because of his age, but because of the attachments he made with the people in his service. Tsunade with her weak heart, and her poor habits. Jiraiya and his perversion and lack of true focus.

A masked figure appeared on the railing, and the Sandaime gave a pained and sorrowful smile. "Welcome back to Konoha, Orochimaru. I believe you've met Zeiguwa?"

The Hunter reached up and slipped the mask off his face, revealing the three whiskerlike marks, his eyes closed, and a jounin in the background gasped and whispered, "Impossible…."

Orochimaru's face contorted into a snarl, "Uzumaki Naruto."

"Hajimemashite," Zeiguwa said, opening his eyes to reveal milky pale iris and the golden seven pronged star rotating slowly in his eyes as blood welled and cascaded down tanned skin.

Orochimaru's Chakra spiked higher as a white hot fury roared and mixed with venomous hatred roared through him as he looked upon the face of the boy who had brought his carefully laid plans to destroy Konoha tumbling about his ears…


	17. Chapter 16

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SanadaSayuri's Notes:** As many of you may have noticed, the filler chapters are no longer in Soundscape. I have not deleted them. They can be found in "Angel of Death II". As for Konoha Advent, I will not be updating it until Parallel and Soundscape hit the 20 chapter mark. But then again, if Soundscape hits the 300 review mark, I may or may not post a chapter for Konoha Advent early.

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Orochimaru was quite disappointed. With Kabuto and Kidoumaru's deaths, he had no genjutsu, and no barrier to prevent interference from the outside. He wasn't sure who he hated more, as he looked over his former teammates. His sensei who was weak, not only because of his age, but because of the attachments he made with the people in his service. Tsunade with her weak heart, and her poor habits. Jiraiya and his perversion and lack of true focus. _

_A masked figure appeared on the railing, and the Sandaime gave a pained and sorrowful smile. "Welcome back to Konoha, Orochimaru. I believe you've met Zeiguwa?"_

_The Hunter reached up and slipped the mask off his face, revealing the three whiskerlike marks, his eyes closed, and a jounin in the background gasped and whispered, "Impossible…."_

_Orochimaru's face contorted into a snarl, "Uzumaki Naruto."_

"_Hajimemashite," Zeiguwa said, opening his eyes to reveal milky pale iris and the golden seven pronged star rotating slowly in his eyes as blood welled and cascaded down tanned skin._

_Orochimaru's Chakra spiked higher as a white hot fury roared and mixed with venomous hatred roared through him as he looked upon the face of the boy who had brought his carefully laid plans to destroy Konoha tumbling about his ears…_

**Chapter 16: Konoha's Shadow (Full Version)**

Sasuke wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he did know that this was his chance to prove himself. Somehow, Sasuke had no doubt that if he couldn't prove his worth here, then not even Nartuo's influence could keep him as a ninja, and his only path to power—and his revenge against his brother—would be lost. The suppression seal placed on him was controlled by Naruto, only Naruto's will kept him from floundering in the darkness of the Cursed Seal. Once again, he was under Naruto's power, and Sasuke hated it.

He had to prove himself here. He had to gain power so he would never again be under another person's power. If he could only surpass Naruto and Kakashi, he could potentially surpass Itachi and kill him.

* * *

Pale blue eyes stared coolly at the false Kazekage as the trails of blood on whiskered cheeks dried and cracked and flaked away as muscles twitched under pale skin. The Sandaime's chakra shifted, and the bloodstained features of the demon host were covered by the unadorned Hunter's mask.

"Where are the cursed children?" the Sandaime said, never taking his eyes off Orochimaru.

"They are being dealt with by the other Five as we speak," Zeiguwa said, his voice cool and inflectionless. A cold hint of amusement seeped into his voice with his next words, "The Medic's blood was exceptionally sweet, and the Nine-tails was pleased enough by the offering that he will fight for Konoha on this day."

Orochimaru's glare seemed to become more venomous while the jounin in the back of the balcony flinched.

An explosion rocked the village, and a dark plume of smoke could be seen rising in the east. Zeiguwa bowed to the Hokage. "Hokage-sama." He said shortly, and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

In the distance, there was a blast of malevolence, and a dark red chakra billowed upward and coalesced into the form of a gigantic nine tailed fox. A single dark speck with shifting outlines on its massive red snout was the only indication of the Hunter that had summoned it. Almost instantly, the Eastern Wall, which had been assailed by three enormous three headed snake summons were covered in the chakra smoke that came with the three summonses being returned to their own world after being torn apart by the Summoned Kyuubi.

Once the summons had been dispatched, the Kyuubi vanished in a puff of red tinted smoke, and a horse sized nine-tailed fox dashed toward the damaged wall, slaking its bloodlust with the blood of the invading ninja. The Konoha-nin, heartened by the sight of the Kyuubi tearing through their enemies, turned, and fiercely fought to protect their precious village.

* * *

Zeiguwa flashed through the trees, sharp cerulean eyes easily picking up the trail left by Sasuke, who was pursuing the Kazekage's eldest children who had taken to the forest. A faint sense of annoyance pervaded his senses, even as his chakra thinned into an icy line radiating killing intent. All of his carefully laid plans hinged on a single moment of weakness between Jinchuuriki with only the Kazekage's children as witnesses, and if Sasuke were to witness it, everything would be thrown off.

Whether or not the Sandaime survived this time around hinged on how strong Orochimaru had grown and how much Tsunade and Jiraiya's skills as ninja had deteriorated. It fell to Zeiguwa to ensure that Gaara knew that there were others who knew and understood his pain, only when Gaara understood that there were other Jinchuuriki like him, and could be convinced that there were people who cared for him, irregardless of what the vessel of the One-Tailed Raccoon thought, the more likely that Konoha would have an unwavering ally in the Village of the Hidden Sand. If there was anything that would have to remain constant, it was the battle between Jinchuuriki, as it would affect the future of both Konoha and Suna…

Zeiguwa swerved off the trail and fell into the center of a large group of Oto and Suna-nin. With devastating efficiency, he moved through the group, his kunai flashing as red blood and steaming guts hit the forest floor. Pale cerulean eyes watched distantly as the Oto-nin fell before him, and he took care to strike the Suna-nin in non-fatal areas. It wouldn't do to kill Konoha's future allies after all… Not that it would matter much, as they were currently invading Konoha, but the more Sand nin alive to help deal with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki, the better.

Once the last enemy hit the ground, Zeiguwa took off once more, quickly catching up and passing Uchiha Sasuke. He had to finish the inevitable confrontation between himself and Sabaku no Gaara as soon as possible before Sasuke came along and butted his head into the business of two Jinchuuriki. The fool would probably get himself killed trying to play the hero, and if Sasuke didn't get killed, then Sakura, who would be following then via Pakkun's guidance, would. Oinin took care of their teammates, because for them, it was the world against the Hunters, and Zeiguwa was a Hunter, and the current Genin Team 7 were his teammates.

* * *

Zeiguwa knelt beside Gaara and lightly pressed five fingers glowing with chakra into the seal, and watched dispassionately as Shukaku rushed to the surface of his vessel's psyche. The Hunter leapt away as a wave of sand crashed into the spot where he had originally been standing.

"I'm free!!!" Shukaku crowed as the sand formed the demon's true form.

Behind his mask, Zeiguwa rolled his eyes as the Kyuubi snorted and muttered about the Ichibi's use of the cliché.

"_Call me to you, boy!"_ the Kyuubi roared.

"_There isn't time, and even if there was, the fight must go along the old lines in order to turn Gaara from the shadows!" _Zeiguwa protested mentally.

"_Then you will be pushed back toward Konoha since the Frog Summoner has not offered you the contract!" _Kyuubi snarled.

Zeiguwa froze momentarily before realizing that it was true. Even in the past, if Jiraiya had known about his position as a Hunter and the Oracle, he would have never given him the frog summoning contract. Hunters were not permitted to have more than one Contract at a time, and Naruto wondered exactly what strings had been pulled by the Sandaime and Tsunade to allow him to keep the Frog Summoning contract at that time. He quickly dodged off to the side, immersing himself in the shadows of the trees just barely missing being crushed by a fresh wave of sand.

Zeiguwa sighed and murmured quietly out loud, "Fine, I'll share my body then."

"_Good…" _the Kyuubi purred.

Zeiguwa rolled his eyes as he went through the hands seals. He knew there was a double meaning in his most recent words, and he was in no mood to contemplate which meaning the Kyuubi had chosen to hear. The Fox was unpredictable that way.

Red chakra enveloped the golden haired Hunter and nine red tails coalesced from the Youki as a set of fox ears materialized on top of the Hunter's head, nestled amongst golden locks. The whisker marks, hidden beneath the mask thickened and widened as slightly larger than normal canines grew into wicked sharp fangs, and pale cerulean eyes bled into blood red.

"**Well then..."** a dark guttural voice intoned from behind the mask,

* * *

TBC……..


	18. Chapter 17

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Red chakra enveloped the golden haired Hunter and nine red tails coalesced from the Youki as a set of fox ears materialized on top of the Hunter's head, nestled amongst golden locks. The whisker marks, hidden beneath the mask thickened and widened as slightly larger than normal canines grew into wicked sharp fangs, and pale cerulean eyes bled into blood red._

"_**Well then..."**__ a dark guttural voice intoned from behind the mask, __**"let the games begin."**_

**Chapter 17: Changed Fates**

One the Hokage's Balcony, the three Sannin and the Sandaime stared at one another, locked in a stalemate. Orochimaru, because he knew that without the Sound Four to set up the barrier or Kabuto to back him up, he would not stand a chance against the combined might of his former teammates and his one time teacher. Not for the first time since the debacle began, Orochimaru cursed Uzumaki---no, Kazama Naruto and his Yochigan. Tsunade and Jiraiya did not move for fear of setting off a fight that would destroy a large area while surrounded by allies who might get caught in the crossfire if a battle between the Sannin. Sandaime did not wish to instigate a fight in which he and his students could potentially kill their own troops, and in the back of the balcony, the jounin did not move for fear of drawing the attention of the four ninja to them.

The Hokage's Balcony was in a stalemate for all that a heated battle was being waged all around them.

Sarutobi sighed and weighed his options. They would end up standing there all day if something did not tip the balance, and soon. The Sandaime glanced out the corner of his eyes as the sun glinted off a mop of golden hair that was making its way ever closer to the stadium. Instantly, he made his choice.

Faster than the eye could see, the Sandaime triggered the smoke bombs hidden in the balcony, and Tsunade and Jiraiya followed their former teacher onto the roof. Orochimaru tore off the disguise of the Kazekage and followed his former teacher and teammates onto the roof.

* * *

There was no time to hesitate, Orochimaru knew, because that last explosion had been a signal, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see several Oinin converging on the roof. He launched a heavy barrage of metal at the Hokage and the two loyal Konoha Sannin and began making seals.

The Sandaime's eyes widened as three boxes rose from the ground, labeled "One", "Two", and "Four".

A barrage of shuriken and kunai from the Oinin nailed the box with the label "Four" shut, and the box disappeared. They all had a suspicion of who were in the boxes, and they (The Oinin and the Sannin and the Hokage) knew that none of them would stand a chance if the third box was opened.

Orochimaru snarled. He had hoped that he could have used the Yondaime to force the Oinin and at least one or both of his former comrades out of the battle. He was sure that with the hunters and one or both of his former teammates busy fighting the Yondaime, his victory would have been assured.

His guess was accurate.

It's just too bad for Orochimaru that fate didn't work out in his favor.

* * *

Sandaime's eyes widened as the boxes opened to reveal the Shodai and the Nidaime, and as soon as Orochimaru approached the two resurrected Hokage, Kurohyou, the second in command of the Hunters, made the signal for a charge, and the Oinin leapt forward, preventing the Snake Sannin from being able to place the Shodai and the Nidaime under his control. Zeiguwa had suspected that so long as the Shodai and Nidaime's memories remained intact, they may well hold themselves outside of the conflict, or even better, join the conflict on Konoha's side, and Kurohyou was more than willing to test out Zeiguwa's hypothesis.

The moment the Hunters moved, Sarutobi moved forward to engage Orochimaru, Tsunade and Jiraya stepping back to wait for the Sandaime's signal to move in.

Once the Sandaime had engaged the Snake Sannin, Kurohyou snapped his fingers and he and the other Oinin leapt off the roof and split apart in different directions.

* * *

"Why…" Gaara muttered, "Why do you fight so hard?"

Zeiguwa laboriously pulled himself to his feet. "Because it is a mission that my Hokage entrusted to me. Because my father died for this village. Because Konoha is the home of my precious people as well as myself. If you lay a single hand on my friends and family, I will kill you!"

Temari and Kankuro landed beside Gaara and gave Zeiguwa wary looks. Zeiguwa sighed and slipped a hand into his equipment pouch and pulled out a soldier pill and swallowed it as a hawk flew over the village, a summons for all ninja to expel the invaders with everything they had.

Zeiguwa turned his back on the Kazekage's children and made his way back toward Konoha. He had a mission to finish.

* * *

Zeiguwa landed lightly on the stadium roof opposite the Hokage's balcony. As he watched the battle unfold, he sensed a presence behind him, and a kunai leapt into his hand as he spun around. Even as his kunai clashed with the weapon of a Sound ninja, Zeiguwa formed a Rasengan with his free hand, and shoved it into the nin's gut. The wind pressure tore the ninja apart in a rain of blood, flesh and guts.

With the threat (though it was not much of one) neutralized, Zeiguwa turned his attention back toward the fight on the roof of the Hokage's balcony…

* * *

Kakashi sensed the sudden burst of chakra and glanced off to the side in time to see an enemy ninja explode in a shower of blood and body parts. He raised an eyebrow as the Hunter turned calmly and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched the conflict on the other side of the stadium. The silver haired jounin shrugged and turned his attention back to the Kage level battle taking place.

* * *

Zeiguwa's eyes were cool as he watched the Oinin drew the attention of the resurrected Shodai and Nidaime while the Sandaime and the remaining Sannin clashed. As he had hoped, without Orochimaru's memory erasing and control seal in them, the resurrected Shodai and Nidaime were mostly keeping out of the fight, they were only half-heartedly attacking and defending against the Konoha Oinin that surrounded them.

* * *

Orochimaru knew that he was outmatched the moment the battle began. A flash of chakra drew his attention, and he growled as he recognized the mop of golden hair and the unadorned Hunter's mask. He made his descision there.

He might not be able to get the Sharingan while the Yochigan existed, but Uzumaki---no, Kazama Kazuki would have to fall at some point, and when he did, Orochimaru would cut the all seeing eyes from the Hunter's corpse, and at the same time, he would claim the Sharingan. Until then, he would have to live on, and staying to fight a hopeless fight would not bring him any nearer to his goal…

Orochimaru flung several kunai with exploding tags wrapt around the handles and leapt back. While Tsunade, Jiraiya and the Sandaime were distracted, Orochimaru summoned a snake to spit venous gas, and leapt away over the rooftops as his former teammates were distracted.

* * *

From across the stadium, Zeiguwa watched the battle. He knew the moment when the battle ended, and quickly crossed the stadium as the resurrected forms of the Shodai and Nidaime fell into dust as the jutsu was cancelled.

"Well then, Hokage-sama," Zeiguwa said cheerfully, "What do you think about today's invasion?"

"There will be more?!" the Sandaime said, worried.

Zeiguwa said gently, "I'm afraid that there will be many, many more to come. If there is anything today should have shown you, Sandaime-sama, it is that you are no longer young. Please select a successor."

Saindaime sighed, "But then who would be worthy?"

"Tsunade would," Zeiguwa said.

"Is it the Oracle's will?" the Sandaime said.

"Only if there is no one else that we can trust with the safety of the village."

"Then let us see it done. I will begin seeking out a successor once the village is back on its feet."

"Be swift, Hokage-sama," Zeiguwa said, "There is not much time before the Jinchuuriki begin to make their appearances and the Akatsuki begin to wage war against the Shinobi Nations as a whole."

The Sandaime had nothing to say after the Hunter's ominous warning….

TBC……..


	19. Chapter 18

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

* * *

**Naruto is a male Mary-sue!** Hardly. A Gary-Stu (which is the male equivalent to a Mary-Sue) would not become dependant on a bloodline that could destroy their eyes, nor would they forget that one Uchiha Sasuke is still jealous of their sudden growth in terms of strength and that he still has a cursed seal. Come to think of it, a Gary-Stu would actually do everything in their power to get the guy/girl they want while simultaneously having several other guys/girls after them. Oh, wait, Naruto _does_ have several guys/girls after him… (cough_Itachi_cough_Hinata_cough_Sasuke_cough_Kakashi_cough_Gaara_cough) But he's not doing everything in his power to get Kakashi! He's pushing him away! As such, Naruto is **not** a Gary-Stu! ((At least I don't _think_ he is….))

**Where is the kissing and Yaoi?!** It's coming, it's coming, be patient…

**Why isn't Naruto insane yet?!** Do you _want_ him to be insane this early on in the story? If you really do, just say the word, and I'll write a one-shot of Naruto going insane for you. Hell, I'll even set in the Soundscape Universe!

**ShatteredWords:** Haven't heard from you in a while, and your webpage hasn't been updated yet either. Drop me a note if you get the chance.

* * *

**Previously on Soundscape…**

"_Well then, Hokage-sama," Zeiguwa said cheerfully, "What do you think about today's invasion?"_

"_There will be more?!" the Sandaime said, worried._

_Zeiguwa said gently, "I'm afraid that there will be many, many more to come. If there is anything today should have shown you, Sandaime-sama, it is that you are no longer young. Please select a successor."_

_Saindaime sighed, "But then who would be worthy?"_

"_Tsunade would," Zeiguwa said._

"_Is it the Oracle's will?" the Sandaime said._

"_Only if there is no one else that we can trust with the safety of the village."_

"_Then let us see it done. I will begin seeking out a successor once the village is back on its feet."_

"_Be swift, Hokage-sama," Zeiguwa said, "There is not much time before the Jinchuuriki begin to make their appearances and the Akatsuki begin to wage war against the Shinobi Nations as a whole."_

* * *

**Chapter 18: Gravity**

Konoha was in the beginning stages of rebuilding. As one walked through the village, one could see villagers scouring the remnants of their homes for anything salvageable while various gennin teams and chunnin teams stood by, ready to leap in and pull a civilian to safety if a weak structure started to give way. In the meantime, carpenters from all over the shinobi continent were pouring in, inspecting the salvaged lumber from the buildings that had been taken apart, and in other parts of the villages, partially destroyed buildings were already under reconstruction.

However, Naruto was not wandering the streets for no reason. He was looking for a Potential Mouth, because the Chunnin Exam was over, and Ibiki's time as Mouth had ended. Not that he had much hope. Normally Mouths came from the Oracle's Gennin teammates, and Naruto didn't quite like the idea of giving either Sakura or Sasuke the power to potentially twist his words and wreck absolute havoc.

* * *

When night fell, a single dark figure slipped through the shadows of Konoha. It landed on the railing in front of the walkway on the second floor of the apartment complex. The figure walked to one of the windows, and stood there, looking at the figure on the bed, two thirds of his face covered by the shuriken patterned coverlet, his silver hair splayed out over the pillow, shimmering in the light.

Inside the apartment, Kakashi stirred and sat up, and twisted around to stare out his window. He opened the window and stuck his head and shoulders out, and stared around, but no one was there.

There was only the silhouette of an ANBU patrol leaping over the roof tops…

* * *

About a week had passed since the invasion from Sound had been repelled, yet there was still no word about a succeeding Godaime. Naruto himself had no way to interfere because Zeiguwa was needed, and as soon as Zeiguwa returned to the village, Team 7 would be sent off on some lame D-class mission or another C-class mission, and if it wasn't with Sasuke and Sakura, he would be sent out with some other member of the Konoha 12. Due to the shortage of high level ninja, however, Naruto was only occasionally sent out with his peers, and usually only when they started asking questions about his whereabouts.

Naruto was wary, though. The situation was a precarious one, and even with the Yochigan, he could not tell how the future would progress. All he knew for sure was that Konoha had some rocky times ahead of her…

* * *

Iruka, Kotetsu, and Izumo were somewhat worried and nervous when they were told that they were being sent out on an extended B-Class mission into Red Bean Country with a Hunter. When they heard that they were being put under the jurisdiction of Zeiguwa, the Number Three of the Primary Six Hunter Ninja, worry became outright apprehension. Zeiguwa was known by many names, depending on the country that they were in, but even in the Leaf, he was notorious for being a brutally efficient killer who took pleasure in the pain of his prey, and often purposely extended the time he took to kill them if they offered enough amusement. What made this even more disturbing was his age. Zeiguwa was said to have started carving a bloody swath through modern history at the age of seven, and by now, he was supposedly no more than twelve, on the verge of thirteen years old. Iruka shuddered when he realized that Zeiguwa was the same age as Naruto.

Therefore, they were understandably surprised when they were met at the Western Gates, not by a child masked and garbed as a Hunter, but a polite, soft-spoken, blue eyed boy clad in a typical ANBU uniform, with his hair covered by a black cloth that doubled as a Hitae-ate with the strip of metal bearing Konoha's emblem over his eyes and a black face mask that covered the lower half of his face. The only thing that told them that he was Zeiguwa, was the leaf shaped Hunter's Emblem carved in red ink on his left shoulder, and the unadorned Hunter's mask that hung at his belt.

Within moments of meeting him, Iruka, Kotetsu and Izumo were undeniably disturbed to realize that they perceived this master of killing as an innocent, and one that needed to be protected. Zeiguwa smiled bitterly at them, as if he knew what they were thinking, and led them out of the village.

Iruka would never know that Zeiguwa had indeed known what they were thinking. And neither he would ever know how much he had hurt the Hunter because he had judged him by rumors rather than fact when a short six months before, Iruka had admitted that he was nothing like the rumors claimed him to be when he had been Uzumaki Naruto rather than Zeiguwa. Iruka would wonder after he returned from that mission why Naruto would always find some convenient excuse to not have ramen with him and why the blonde would no longer look him in the eye for months afterward…

* * *

It had been a simple mission.

Get in, find the targets, disable them, interrogate them, neutralize them, dispose of the bodies, then leave.

Zeiguwa had proven most of the rumors about his brutality and sadism false during the course of the mission, but the three chunnin never knew that while they slept, Zeiguwa had put on his mask and climbed into the highest part of the tree he could without loosing his awareness of the area, and cried because while they were different to his when he was Uzumaki Naruto, they were like everyone else when he wasn't. They cared and respected Naruto because he was keeping them safe, because it was by his Yochigan that their village had survived the invasion of the Sound, but they cared nothing for the Kyuubi Vessel. They only cared for the seal.

It was heartbreaking for someone like him, who had persevered through so much, to find that most of the respect he had gained was for what he did as a Jinchuuriki rather than for who he was.

* * *

Kakashi entered training ground 7, intending to visit Obito and Yondaime, but what he found was vastly different. He found a figure swathed in a lightweight canvas cloak with a Hunter's unadorned mask , kneeling in front of the Monument of Heroes. He recognized the chakra almost immediately. Since the invasion, Naruto's chakra had become even more distinct since the Kyuubi's chakra was mingling more with his.

"Naruto?" Kakashi ventured forward tentatively.

Naruto's head shifted slightly toward Kakashi, but he didn't respond. He simply allowed his chakra to shift neutrally, and allowed his stance to relax slightly.

Kakashi, recognizing the accommodating shift, stepped up to stand directly behind the blonde. "Is something wrong?"

Naruto shifted, and then Kakashi found a sobbing golden haired bundle attached to his waist, saltine tears soaking into his flack jacket…

* * *

The bell rang in the Academy, and Iruka smiled as the students filed out of the classrooms at varying speeds, occasionally chirping a good bye to the chunnin instructor. Iruka smiled and began packing away the test papers, when a sudden spike of chakra followed by his back painfully hitting the blackboard registered on his senses.

"You moron!" Kakashi snarled, "How could you! He trusted you!"

"What are you talking about?!" Iruka said between gritted teeth.

"Who am I talking about? I'm talking about Naruto, you fool!" Kakashi snarled.

Iruka flinched away from the jounin's tightly reigned anger.

"What about Naruto?" Iruka asked.

"You know very well!" Kakashi hissed. The jounin dropped the chunnin and said in a slightly calmer voice, "Just because you don't see him doesn't mean he can't hear you. Naruto trusted you, and then you go and say something like that… How can you tell him to his face that you respect him because he works hard, then go behind his back to say that it's because he is the Kyuubi's prison?"

"You can't say that you don't feel the same!" Iruka said suddenly.

Kakashi stared at him in shock and snarled angrily, "I do respect him for it! But I also respect him because he, unlike other Jinchuuriki, has persevered! He has had to fight for everything he has, and almost no one even knows how much he gave up to keep you lot safe! It would have been better if he had simply let the Kyuubi loose and purged this world of useless trash like you!"

Kakashi shook his head and snapped, "I'm not going to waste anymore time with you," and vanished in a puff of chakra smoke.

Iruka stared at the spot that Kakashi had initially been.

"But I **do** care for Naruto…" he said dully, "And even if I did start off respecting him for being the Kyuubi's prison, I respect him as a person **now**…"

He walked over to the window and muttered to himself, "What did I do? What went wrong?"

* * *

A Hunter, swathed in the dark colored lightweight cloak, the hood pulled low over his face, sat alone in the corner of the Locket, an all ninja bar, an untouched drink in front of him. The door opened, and Kakashi entered. The jounin paused at the door, a single dark eye sweeping over the room before landing on the Hunter, and he made his way toward him.

The hunter didn't look up or give any indication that he had noticed the jounin as he sat down in front of him. Kakashi studied the boy, and wordlessly reached over, patting his hand.

Zeiguwa looked up then, and said quietly, "So tell me again why I'm supposed to meet you here?"

Kakashi paused and smiled, and said, "Because you looked like you needed it."

Zeiguwa's eyes, covered by the hitai-ate, twinges, and two wet red stains appeared on the cloth under the protective strip of metal. A faint haze lifted in his mind, and Naruto knew without knowing that it was beginning again, the cycle of caring that inevitably would end in heartbreak.

He was falling in love with Hatake Kakashi all over again…

* * *

TBC…….. 


	20. Chapter 19 Edited

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

* * *

**Some Random Babbling:** Ok, to tell the truth, the previous chapter would probably count as a filler, but meh. Whatever. In anycase, I'm currently tearing my hair out by the handfuls trying to finish **Smile** for Omni-chan's challenge in the livejournal KakaNaru community. The August challenge was babies of all things, so I'm taking the hint and writing and keeping my muse awake with lots and lots of coffee. Unfortunately, it's summer so I'm also dealing with unbearable heat that makes me listless and not want to do anything, not to mention I'm almost too bored to move, which also means that I'm doing most of the writing at two or three in the morning when it's cool and my muse is jumping up and down and smacking me around with new plot bunnies. Sayu-Muse is evil I tell you, EVIL!!!!

I also blame my friend Alex who came back from A-Ex and Comic-Con and brought back all these nifty things, which has me hankering over Princess-Princess, Hellsing, Black God, Alice 19th, Spiral, and Zombie Loan. Let's not even get me started on Claymore, Aria, or Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha. Actually, I blame the Hellsing thing on Casey and Vina, whose conversations left me out of the loop and drove me nuts until I got my hands on the manga.

* * *

**Not so random babbling:** For those who are interested in what the Hunter's Emblem looks like, it is posted on my deviantart site. Go to my profile for the link.

* * *

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_A Hunter, swathed in the dark colored lightweight cloak, the hood pulled low over his face, sat alone in the corner of the Locket, an all ninja bar, an untouched drink in front of him. The door opened, and Kakashi entered. The jounin paused at the door, a single dark eye sweeping over the room before landing on the Hunter, and he made his way toward him._

_The hunter didn't look up or give any indication that he had noticed the jounin as he sat down in front of him. Kakashi studied the boy, and wordlessly reached over, patting his hand._

_Zeiguwa looked up then, and said quietly, "So tell me again why I'm supposed to meet you here?"_

_Kakashi paused and smiled, and said, "Because you looked like you needed it."_

_Zeiguwa's eyes, covered by the hitai-ate, twinges, and two wet red stains appear on the cloth under the protective strip of metal. A faint haze lifted in his mind, and Naruto knew without knowing that it was beginning again, the cycle of caring that inevitably would end in heartbreak._

_He was falling in love with Hatake Kakashi all over again…_

* * *

**Chapter 19: Grace**

Almost a month after the invasion of the Leaf by Sound, Konoha was in the final stages of rebuilding, and Kakashi continued to train Uchiha Sasuke while Naruto pushed for the Sandaime to choose his successor. In the meantime, he was being sent out with various ANBU or jounin for missions, while occasionally being teamed up with a pair of genin for C class missions. It was on one of these missions, a solo mission to deliver a scroll to the Daimyo of Fire Country that Naruto first encountered Uchiha Itachi.

After getting trapped in the Tsukiyomi, Naruto activated his Yochigan and turned the Tsukiyomi back on Itachi and layered on a Kageyomi. Once Itachi broke out of his illusion and noticed the secondary illusion that his Mangekyou Sharingan could not break, Naruto finally spoke.

"It's no use," the blonde said calmly, "Only another Yochigan user can break the Kageyomi, and even so, its impossible since there is only one Yochigan user at any time, and also, I am the last of my clan."

If Itachi felt any shock, he did not show it. Naruto smiled.

"From the Kazama were descended the Hyuuga, and from the Hyuuga came the Uchiha," Naruto said, "And when Uchiha Madara first discovered the properties of the Mangekyou, it was the Kazama that taught him to harness that power, and from then on, the Uchiha proved more faithful to the Kazama than the Hyuuga who came before them. You slaughtered your clan for your brother and for the child that was your idol's legacy. Will you show me, the son of the Yondaime, the same loyalty you showed my father?"

Itachi nodded curtly. Naruto's smile widened and the cross to which Itachi was bound vanished, and Itachi landed on the glossy, water-like surface of the illusion on his knees.

"I, Uchiha Itachi, affirm my vows to the House of Kazama from whence the Uchiha came," Itachi said, "I do so swear to repel all enemies of the Kazama line and guard them from harm, and stand beside them, and serve them, in sickness or in health, until the Uchiha line fails, or the Kazama fall. Let the Sharingan know this Oath and lead me to Darkness and Ruin if this Oath I ever break."

Naruto's hands fell on Itachi's shoulders and intoned, "I, Kazama Kazuki, known as Uzumaki Naruto, hears and accepts Uchiha Itachi's Oath of loyalty. I do so swear to be a just Master befitting the House of Uchiha, and shall reward treachery with vengeance and loyalty with honor. Let the Yochigan know this Oath and lead me to Shadow and Ruin if this Oath I ever break."

And Naruto released the illusion. Itachi's Mangekyou faded back into the normal three tomoe Sharingan which faded into the black eyes he had been born with, and looked into Naruto's pale eyes with the seven pointed star turning slowly in the iris as blood trailed down his face. The star shrank and Naruto's eyes darkened into its usual cerulean. Itachi nodded wordlessly and turned away.

"Kisame, we are leaving," he said.

"What?" Kisame said, puzzled.

"He has the Yochigan," Itachi said calmly, "My Sharingan will not allow me to raise my hand against him. My oath to the Yondaime Hokage ensures that I cannot actively harm his legacy."

"Then I will do it," Kisame said, stepping forward. "Besides, how strong can this runt be?"

"He is a Kazama by blood," Itachi said, "He will not require chakra to bring you down. And if you fall, I will not carry you back."

Kisame sneered. "Fine."

And so Naruto and Itachi parted on good terms as Master and Vassal…

* * *

A week after his meeting with Uchiha Itachi, Zeiguwa stood behind the Hokage in the Counsel Room of the Hokage Tower as Tsunade and Jiraiya stood beside the Sandaime with the Shinobi Council before them. The papers were quickly signed, and the council bowed and left. Sarutobi sighed.

"Well then, it is done," he said, "Tsunade will officially take my place as Hokage at the end of the week. All that is left is to announce the succession to the Village and the Inauguration Ceremony."

Zeiguwa inclined his head and said softly, "The villagers will be very happy. There has been talk, and people have been wondering when Sandaime-sama would select an heir and step down to enjoy his final years in peace. Sandaime-sama is well loved, and people will be glad to see you free of the burdens that come with being Hokage."

Jiraiya nodded vigorously and Sandaime chuckled.

"Well then, we can take care of the rest," Tsunade said, packing away the papers.

Zeiguwa nodded, bowed, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Zeiguwa reappeared on the top of a three story apartment complex in the civilian housing district and pulled out a lightweight trench coat from a sealing scroll and tossed it on over his ANBU style Hunter's field uniform and did up the zipper so that the lightweight cuirass would not be seen, and pulled off his mask and slipped it into a pocket on the inner layer of his coat. The light weight face mask covering the lower half of his face was pulled off to reveal six whisker like birthmarks and tucked under the high collar of his coat and his hitae-ate was pushed up off his eyes and onto his forehead.

He leapt off the roof, and tucked his hands into his pockets and walked down the street toward the busy market…

Half an hour later, he met up with Haku in front of a hot pot restaurant, and they went in, chattering about the state of things since the invasion and discussing the non-confidential missions that they had taken so far.

If he had been more careful, he would have noticed Sasuke sitting in the booth in front of them, and would have turned the conversation from his description of the solo C rank patrol mission that he had attended to the night before.

* * *

In his booth, Sasuke fumed at the words of the two Hunters.

It was unfair! He was the last Uchiha, and _he_ should have been the one sent out on solo missions, not the _dobe_ who had graduated from the Academy as the _dead last_.

The dobe was getting power handed to him because of that bloodlimit he had awakened, Sasuke thought. The dobe was getting power that should have been given to _him_ because he was the last Uchiha, and he had to avenge his family. If Konoha gave the power that was rightfully his to the dobe, than he would get power from elsewhere!

The cursed seal pulsed darkly as Sasuke glowered and plotted…

* * *

Naruto woke to someone pounding on his apartment door. He sat up and flung aside his covers and stumbled across his apartment, grumbling incoherently.

"What?" he snapped, violently jerking the door open.

Shikamaru frowned at him. "Mendokuze… We have a mission," Shikamaru said, "Uchiha Sasuke has left the village."

The haze of sleep lifted. "What?!" Naruto slammed the door shut. "Hang on for a sec!" he yelled, his voice muffled by the closed door.

Shikamaru blinked at the door and sighed. "Mendokuze…" he muttered, leaning against the wall beside the door.

* * *

Naruto made a Kage bushin as he dashed into his bedroom and threw on his Hunter uniform consisting of a black, longsleeved shirt with a high collar under a thigh length sleeveless yukata and grey hakama, and shoved his feet into his ninja sandels. As he dressed, the kage bushin swept kunai, shuriken, smoke bombs, poison bombs, senbon, wires, soldier and blood restoring pills and several lengths of nin wire into his equipment pouch and kunai and senbon holster then dispelled itself. As Naruto attached his equipment pouch to his belt and the kunai and senbon holsters to his legs, he muttered obscenities under his breath.

How could he have forgotten that Sasuke had Orochimaru's Cursed Seal? How could he have been so caught up in his own duties and miseries to forget something so important? He grabbed his hitae-ate and darted out of his apartment. He glanced at Shikamaru who sighed, straightened, and meandered away. Naruto growled under his breath and followed the newly promoted Chunnin.

* * *

They had gathered Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Neji, and Akimichi Chouji once more, and as they came across members of the Sound, split up again. Naruto thought that this was easily among the best and worst thing they had ever done. He had been surprised to see a new group taking the place of the first Sound Four. He had not expected Orochimaru to regroup so quickly, nor replace his personal guards with such speed. Personally, he knew he should have expected it. Orochimaru was nothing if not efficient, and after finding out that he had the Yochigan, the Snake Sannin was bound to have used the brief month between the preliminaries and the invasion to prepare for any unintended, Yochigan related information leaks by reinforcing his guard. Naruto mentally kicked himself for not preparing for such an occasion, or at the very least, foreseeing it with his Yochigan.

He doubted that things would go smoothly, and prayed that things wouldn't be like in his previous life. He still remembered the fiasco that had been the last Sasuke retrieval mission he had participated in…

Sasuke had left, he (Naruto) had died, and Kakashi… Kakashi had been left behind to mourn for another loved one lost in the process of serving the village. It had been his own fault, Naruto thought, if he hadn't held back against Sasuke, he would not have been as badly hurt as he had been, and Kakashi would have brought back a critically injured Uchiha and a somewhat injured Hunter rather than the corpse of a Hunter who had misjudged the strength of the Cursed Seal.

Not this time, he mentally promised, _'This time, I will go all out from the very beginning… I will kill the Kaguya and retrieve Sasuke by any means necessary, even if I have to use the Kageyomi on him. No matter what, Sasuke __**will**__ return to Konoha even if I have to kill him to do it!'_

Red chakra that he had only tapped twice (Both times by summoning and providing the Kyuubi with a corporeal form.) since his return to the past flared around him as he pursued his prey…

* * *

Naruto left Lee to face off against the severely weakened Kaguya, and chased Sasuke into a clearing.

"Sasuke!" he roared, "Sasuke! Come home!"

Sasuke stopped, turned, and sneered. "Yeah right, dobe. In your dreams. Konoha was never my home. Konoha hasn't been my home since my clan was slaughtered."

Naruto stepped out into the clearing and said in a softer voice, "Please, don't force me to kill you. Just come home. Konoha can give you more power than Orochimaru. There is nothing that Orochimaru can give, that Konoha cannot."

"That is true," Sasuke said, "But they didn't give it to me! They gave it to you! You! A dead last who doesn't even deserve that power! I'm not blind, dobe! I can see how every time the Council gathers or the Hokage is about to make a decision, they call you! Hyuuga Hiashi inclines his head to you when he doesn't do so for the Hokage! You are trained by the Sannin! Tsunade calls you her son! Sandaime calls you his grandson! That power… It should have been mine! I need it more than you do!"

"Power is not everything," Naruto said, pulling out a scroll. "You want power for revenge. But me? I need power to _survive_!"

He opened the scroll and summoned an unsheathed katana, placed the blade between his teeth, rolled up the scroll, and put it away with one hand while the other took the katana from between his teeth.

"Orochimaru is deceiving you," Naruto said, falling into a ready position, "the Curse Seal on you, it forcibly drags chakra from your body, forces your body to create more chakra, it manipulates your mind to think along similar lines as Orochimaru. Power cannot be given, Sasuke, it can only be earned." Naruto's eyes closed. "But if you are so insistant, then I must show you the error of your ways. I owe it to you since you are my friend," his eyes snapped open and he vanished.

Sasuke stiffened and spun around, his hand grabbing a kunai and raising it in time to block the downward strike of Naruto's katana.

"If you will not return peaceably," Naruto said as he vanished again, "then I will forcibly take you back," he reappeared behind Sasuke and swung his blade in a double handed crescent slash from left to right, "IN PIECES!!!"

* * *

Kakashi rushed through the forest, his breath heavy, fear running through his veins. _Kami-sama, don't let me be too late… Sasuke… Naruto… Please be alright!_

The silver haired jounin burst through the cover of the forest in time to see the dark haired boy thrust a fistful of electricity through the chest of the golden haired boy, the katana the blonde was holding dropped from slack fingers. Kakashi froze and watched as the blonde puffed into chakra smoke.

"A Kage Bushin…" Kakashi breathed, feeling relief surge through his veins.

A set of senbon flew from the trees just beside Kakashi and slammed into Sasuke's neck.

Naruto dropped from the trees and landed lightly beside Kakashi and grinned.

"I got that from Haku," he said happily, and turned around in time to see an unknown Sound ninja heft Sasuke onto his shoulder and vanish into the forest.

"DAMMIT!" Naruto roared. "What the fuck was that!!!??? HEY BASTARD!!!!!!! GIVE ME BACK MY PREY!!!!!!!"

The golden haired Hunter was about to give chase when Kakashi's hand shot out and snagged the blonde's collar.

"Ok, that's enough," Kakashi said. "No need to act rashly. Speaking of which," Kakashi shifted so he could look into Naruto's eyes, "why didn't you foresee this?"

Naruto snarled and said sullenly, "I haven't chosen my permanent Mouth or finalized my bond with my Anchors yet. While Ibiki-san was acting as my Mouth, I could freely use the Yochigan, but since the Chunnin Exams are over, my contract with Ibiki-san is expired, not to mention that the Kyuubi can barely keep the Yochigan from activating at a bad time and sweeping my consciousness away, so if I use the Yochigan now without either a Mouth or Anchors, I'll end up lost in time."

Kakashi sighed, "And why didn't you finalize the contracts?"

"I thought I had more time!"

"You thought—" Kakashi said, and his eye narrowed. "You knew."

Naruto looked away.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?!" Kakashi demanded grabbing Naruto's shoulder.

"I did! I told the Sandaime! Why else did you think the Invasion went off so badly, and why else did you think Tsunade and Jiraiya were in the Hokage's Balcony at the Third Exam?!"

Kakashi sighed and rubbed his temples, "This isn't the place for this. Once we get back to Konoha and you finish your report, we are going to talk."

Naruto said nothing, but Kakashi could feel the spike of chakra and the next moment, all Kakashi held was not Naruto's shoulder, but a fistful of smoke.

* * *

Edited on Saturday, August 18, 2007 at 2:10 PM 


	21. Chapter 20

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**Some Random Babbling:** The Locket, an all ninja bar that will be featuring in this story several times is a bit complicated to explain. If anyone is interested in a floor plan, the link is in my profile.

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Kakashi sighed, "And why didn't you finalize the contracts?"_

"_I thought I had more time!"_

"_You thought—" Kakashi said, and his eye narrowed. "You knew."_

_Naruto looked away._

"_Why didn't you tell anyone?!" Kakashi demanded grabbing Naruto's shoulder._

"_I did! I told the Sandaime! Why else did you think the Invasion went off so badly, and why else did you think Tsunade and Jiraiya were in the Hokage's Balcony at the Third Exam?!"_

_Kakashi sighed and rubbed his temples, "This isn't the place for this. Once we get back to Konoha and you finish your report, we are going to talk."_

_Naruto said nothing, but Kakashi could feel the spike of chakra and the next moment, all Kakashi held was not Naruto's shoulder, but a fistful of smoke._

**Chapter 20: Grail**

"What do you mean by, "_He was taken away by an unknown Oto-nin_,"!?" Tsunade roared.

Zeiguwa knelt in front of Tsunade and the Sandaime, his head bowed. "Forgive me, Sandaime-sama, Godaime-sama," he said, "I was careless."

"Damn right you were careless!" Tsunade roared, "The Sharingan is all but priceless! To allow another village, much less Otogakure, to have it is like giving away our most precious commodity! "_By the descendants of the Yochigan is the Leaf kept safe before, during, and after the rising of the Oracle for the All-Seeing-Eye cannot foretell all,"_ is what is read in our histories! Without the Sharingan our defenses are cut in half!"

"I am aware of that, Hokage-sama," Zeiguwa said.

"Zeiguwa," the Sandaime said gravely, "Not only could the Yochigan could have predicted this, but we could have prevented Uchiha Sasuke's defection. Yet because of the lack of Mouth or Anchor you did not foresee it for fear of being swept away and lost in the stream of time. I understand the need for caution; it would be a disaster for the Oracle to be lost at a time when Konoha is most in need of the Yochigan's guidence. However, you are ranked among the top six Hunter Ninja in Konoha. Your skill level is far above that of Uchiha Sasuke. Even without the use of the Yochigan or the Kyuubi you should not have lost your quarry."

"Hai, Sandaime-sama."

"You should have pursued them! Even if Kakashi was there, as a Hunter, you outrank him!" Tsunade said, her voice shaking with suppressed anger, "He could not have gainsaid you without insubordination."

"We cannot allow this to go unpunished," Sandaime said.

Zeiguwa bowed his head lower. "Hai. I will accept my punishment."

"You are hereby stripped of your status as a Hunter Ninja and relegated to the rank of jounin. You will not be permitted to take any mission above high C ranks and you will substitute for Academy teachers and Jounin supervisors for the next year. At the end of the year the restriction on the level of missions you can take will be lifted. A year after that, you may apply to take the Exams for Oinin status if you desire it," Tsunade declared. "Surrender your mask."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Naruto rose and took of his mask and set it down on Tsunade's desk.

"Dismissed."

Naruto bowed, turned, and left.

Sarutobi glanced at Tsunade and said quietly, "Wasn't that a bit harsh?"

"The council will expect us to be much harsher on him than with other ninja," Tsunade replied, "He is the Oracle. Any failures from him would be considered the equivalent of betrayal. On the other hand, while we are actually demoting him, it will be seen by other villages as if we were promoting him since publicly, Uzumaki Naruto is a genin."

"Giving the impression of his being a genius, which he actually is…" Sandaime sighed, "I see… But I don't like this Tsunade. As a Hunter, he was able to hide his identity as the Oracle, but as a jounin, he is in the public eye. He won't be able to hide his bleeding eyes behind a mask the way he had up to now."

"At worse, it will become common knowledge as to the identity of the Blind Sword, but Naruto is a resourceful boy," Tsunade responded, "I'm sure he'll be fine."

Sarutobi blew out a lungful of smoke in response.

* * *

The Locket was an all ninja bar, and catered to the ninja of Konoha. While the majority of patrons were chunnin and jounin, ANBU and Oinin were known to frequent the second floor of the bar. A private room on the second floor is where we find our hero and his unrequited love.

"You got demoted?!"

Naruto shrugged.

"But isn't that a bit harsh?" Kakashi pushed. "I thought that at worse, you'd be given B ranks instead of the usual A or S ranks."

"I'm known to the Council as the Oracle, Kakashi," Naruto said, "My failure in a simple retrieval mission that is far below my level would be the equivalent of betrayal. The Council would look at it as if I had allowed if not outright helped Sasuke to defect."

"But you didn't expect a Sound-nin to be nearby."

"I _should_ have expected it. After I realized that Orochimaru had a new group of Sound-nin picking up Sasuke, I _should_ have expected another ninja would be nearby, ready to intervene if things got bad. I _should_ have expected it, if not because of the Yochigan, then because of common sense."

"Just because you are the Oracle doesn't mean that you're infallible."

"But then that's what everyone expects, isn't it?" Naruto said bitterly. "Because I am the Kyuubi's prison, I am expected to be the very epitome of the average Jinchuuriki and be a blood thirsty monster intent on nothing but killing. Because I have the Yochigan, I should be all knowing because the Yochigan can show me past, present, and future. No one ever considers that Jinchuuriki only become blood thirsty monsters because that's what everyone expects them to from the earliest days without considering that they can keep the child from becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy by treating them kindly and with a little respect. No one ever considers that the Yochigan may have some weaknesses because there are so many different things that could have come to pass due to a single choice. If you try to educate them in those things, you become outcast because everyone agrees on that one thing and so they must be right, and you who are going against the crowd are wrong even though you know better because you are in possession of the object in question."

Kakashi felt a twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry."

Naruto looked up from his drink quizzically. "For what?"

"For earlier," Kakashi looked away, "when I yelled at you… I guess I was thinking the same way… I thought that you should have known that the Sound-nin would have come, that you would have known to finalize the contracts with your Anchors and have chosen your Mouth due to the need for the Yochigan… I was expecting you to know everything before it happened… And… I'm sorry…"

Naruto looked away. "No one is infallible, not even the Oracle."

"If I asked," Kakashi whispered, "If I asked, would you place your sanity in my hands and bind me to you as your Anchor?"

Naruto's jerked toward Kakashi. "What?"

Kakashi opened his mouth to answer but before he could say anything, the door flew open.

"The Hokage is summoning all available jounin and ANBU!" the ninja at the door gasped.

There was a general flurry of movement in the room as several occupants of the five other tables in the room made to leave. Kakashi and Naruto's eyes met and an understanding passed between them as they left their seats to follow the flow of ninja out the door. Duty called.

* * *

It turned out that there had been an influx of missions, and because of it, the jounin and ANBU and most of the chunnin were out performing missions. Naruto somehow found himself in charge of Team Gai, Teams 10, 8, and whatever was left of Team 7, which was, ironically, Sakura, _simultaneously_.

"What do you mean you "were promoted for the retrieval mission?"!" Kiba screeched indignantly. "And if you had been promoted for it, then why weren't the rest of us who were involved promoted as well?!"

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome…" he muttered, "Since you were promoted to jounin, I'm assuming that you were only pretending to be a genin?"

Naruto rolled his eyes toward the sky and muttered irritably under his breath. "Ok, I'll fill you in on the bare basics," the blonde snapped, "about a decade ago, give or take a few years; the Uchiha Clan rivaled the Hyuuga Clan in number and political influence. They had a prodigy who broke the records set by one Hatake Kakashi known as Uchiha Itachi. At the time, the Uchihas fell into two categories, great protectors or great destroyers. Uchiha Itachi was at first hailed as a great protector, but then the title was changed when for some unknown reason, he slaughtered the Uchiha Clan, leaving only himself and his younger brother, one Uchiha Sasuke as the so living members of the clan. Itachi vanished, leaving his younger brother with a thirst for revenge and a horribly damaged psyche. At the time, another prodigy was on the rise and had been inducted at the age of seven into the ranks of Konoha's Hunter Ninja. At the age of nine, Zeiguwa was ranked among the top twenty Hunters in Konoha and was known as the Hidden Leaf's Blind Sword, due to an accident that left him temporarily blind. By the time of Itachi's defection, Zeiguwa had recovered his sight and had been one of the Hunters sent after him. They crossed swords, and Zeiguwa was barely able to get away alive. The other two members of his three-man squad died before he could get them to safety. After Zeiguwa reported in, he passed out, and about a month later, he had sufficiently recovered from his injuries to undergo basic training. Because of Uchiha Sasuke's fragile state of mind, the Sandaime sent the only ninja who would be able to watch Sasuke closely to infiltrate the Ninja Academy."

"He sent you," Neji said suddenly.

"What?!" Saukra and Ino screeched. "What do you me-"

"No way that dead last can be-" Kiba roared.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, your flames of you-"

"For the love of kami," Naruto muttered, "How the hell do other jounin put up with this?"

Unknown to him, hidden in the trees, one of the ANBU assigned to watch Naruto smirked and muttered, "I wonder that myself." He yelped as another ANBU nudged him in the ribs, and fell silent again to watch the drama unfold.

"SILENCE!!!" Naruto bellowed, letting loose more than a little killing intent.

The genin shut up. Shikamaru simply raised his eyes to the sky and muttered something that vaguely resembled "troublesome".

"Yes," Naruto said finally breaking the silence, "Neji is correct. The Sandaime sent Zeiguwa, me, to infiltrate the Academy and to keep an eye on Uchiha Sasuke and to ensure his loyalty to Konoha by whatever means."

"But then because you're now a jounin instead of a Hunter, then you were technically demoted, right?" Tenten asked.

Naruto sighed, "I activated my family's bloodline limit when Team 7 had a mission in Wave Country. If the Byakugan is the Sharingan's predecessor, then my bloodline is the Byakugan's predecessor, the—"

"The Yochigan," Hinata breathed.

Naruto nodded, "Yes."

"There's no such bloodline in Konoha!" Kiba yelled, "You're making this all up!"

"No," Naruto said, "In all of Konoha, there are only four places where there is record of the Yochigan. They are in my family vaults, in the Hyuuga Head's Library, in the Uchiha Head's Library, and in the Hokage's Private Vault."

"In any case," Chouji said, "what is the Yochigan?"

"Only Naruto would know for sure," Neji said, "but the Hyuuga records claim that Byakugan's name and many of the Byakugan's properties are derivative from the Yochigan, and likewise, the Sharingan. The Yochigan has many traits that only a Yochigan bearer can decipher, and there has only ever been one Yochigan in existence at any time, and the bloodline is damaging to the bearer's mental and physiological state."

Naruto nodded, "One of the Yochigan's properties is a powerful genjutsu in which the user is God. The Mangekyou Sharingan's Tsukiyomi is derived from the Yochigan's Kageyomi. Another property of the Yochigan is the flashes of _insight_ that give the user a glimpse of what is to come, its what the Sharingan's so called pre-cognitive ability comes from. It was my Insight that ensured that failure of Orochimaru's invasion of the Leaf. Unfortunately, it's the _Insight_ ability of the Yochigan that causes the most problems. Because of it, those who are aware of the Insight abilities of the Yochigan bearer, who is known as an Oracle, tend to think that the Oracle is all knowing and thus infallible."

"You didn't realize something that caused the retrieval mission's failure, which in turn resulted in your demotion," Neji noted.

"I forgot to make preparations for things that were simple common sense," Naruto agreed. "I didn't realize it until the mission was well underway, and by then, it was too late to rectify anything, and despite Shikamaru being the technical leader of the mission, I was the highest ranking member of the retrieval team, so the majority of the blame for the mission's failure fell on me." He gave the nine genin a self deprecating smile, "It also didn't help that failure on the Oracle's part is unacceptable and is often considered an act of betrayal. As such, I will have a squad or two of ANBU shadowing me for a while. To have my abilities and this so called betrayal makes me a potential threat to Konoha's safety in these oh so turbulent times."

* * *

The ANBU in the trees winced.

"But we don't think he's a threat," one hissed.

"No, but the Council does," another said, "If nothing else, look at it this way, we're protecting the Yochigan since Orochimaru is aware of it now, and there's no telling if he'll attempt to take the All-Seeing-Eyes along with the Sharingan."

* * *

Unknown to the ANBU, a kage bushin was perched nearby and had heard every word. The bushin smiled in amusement and dispelled it self in a quiet puff of chakra smoke, the sound masked by the flutter of wings as a bird took flight. Below them, Naruto's cerulean eyes took on an amused sparkle.

* * *

"In any case," the blonde said, "I will be supervising your training until your respective jounin supervisors return from their missions. Everyone will begin a set of stretches and run two laps around the village, and then you will work on taijutsu followed by chakra control and genjutsu. On my signal, _begin_!"

* * *

About a week later, Naruto was having Neji and Hinata learn to see through genjutsu without the use of their bloodline limit (something that was inconceivable to the two Hyuuga before he had mentioned it) while simultaneously having Sakura, Ino, and Tenten expand their repertoire of genjutsu by having them study the genjutsu and setting it on the two Hyuugas (To be precise, Naruto had told them that they were all useless if they couldn't put their superior chakra control to good use, and thoroughly scolded Tenten who insisted that she was good enough with her specialty alone.). In the meantime, Shino, Kiba, Shikamaru and Chouji were expanding their library of jutsu by having an all ninjutsu fight against Lee who was being put through his paces while attempting to dodge the jutsu with his newly increased weights and with his eyes blindfolded.

The four jounin sensei of the respective teams arrived in the midst of the chaos, and only a speedy earthen wall from Kakashi kept them from getting steamrollered by Chouji and fried by Shikamaru's Fire Technique.

"Ara," Naruto grinned and motioned for the genin and one chunnin to stop, "Welcome back, Kakashi-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, Asuma-sensei, and Gai-sensei."

"Oh, it looks like everyone's working hard!" Kurenai smiled.

"Wow, that's probably the most active I've ever seen Shikamaru since the genin exams…" Asuma said around his cigarette.

"Ganbatte, minna," Kakashi said lazily as he pulled out his book and opened it.

"I SEE THAT EVERYONE IS WORKING HARD! HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO SEE THAT NARUTO-KUN HAS BROUGHT OUT EVERYONE'S FLAME OF YOUTH!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Eh? You say something, Gai-sensei?" Naruto said, glancing at the spandex clad jounin out of the corner of his eyes.

"KAKASHI!!!!" Gai screamed, "HOW WONDERFUL THAT YOU HAVE PASSED ON YOUR HIP DEMEANOR ON TO YOUR PRECIOUS STUDENTS!!!!!!"

"Eh?" Kakashi's eyes never left his book, "You say something Gai?"

And predictably, that set Gai off. Naruto sighed and said quite calmly, "Kakashi-sensei, how in seven hells did you ever put up with me?"

Kakashi turned a page and said quite calmly, "Lots of patience, and later, reminding myself that you were acting and that in reality, you were much higher ranked than I was."

Naruto sighed, "Lovely…" he turned to the genin and one chunin and barked, "Away peons!"

"And meet up at our usual meeting place!" Kurenai called, "I'll want to see what you've learned so far."

The others left and Neji rolled his eyes and said quite calmly, "You used that three days ago, Naruto."

"Well, I'm younger than you all so I can't very well call you lot brats, can I? Not to mention that there are geniuses and prodigies among you."

"You're the jounin who was formerly a Hunter," Neji pointed out, "That makes you more of a prodigy than Shikamaru or me."

"In terms of the ninja arts, yes, but not necessarily in IQ."

"Actually, Naruto, you're higher ranked," Kakashi said dryly, "Basically, you can call them whatever the hell you want since you're stronger than them, have more experience than them, and they won't be allowed to argue with you about this."

"Kakashi!" Kurenai said, "Don't teach him your bad habits!"

"Ah…" Naruto blinked and said, "I think I'll go report to the Hokage…" he said and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

In the upcoming months after Sasuke's defection, there was a brief time when Naruto and the ANBU trailing him marked an old man who was once a well known trap master. Naruto personally found the fact that he didn't wear his jounin vest unless he was meeting with the Hokage helpful, since it had fooled Gennou into thinking that he was a genin. When Gennou finally slipped his leash, Tsunade summoned him, handed him a mission scroll, and kicked him out of her office with orders to summon the Konoha 10 (Naruto wasn't counted since ninja generations are determined by when a ninja received their hitae-ate, and Naruto had received his hitae-ate long before the Rookies and Team Gai had received theirs.) and bring in Gennou for questioning. Naruto rolled his eyes as the Konoha 10 were gathered and handed out their parts. In the meantime, other jounin and chunnin were all sent off to the Fire-Waterfall Border, and the ANBU scoured the village for clues as to the reason for Gennou's presence in the village.

Since they were dealing with a former trap master, Naruto had the teens split up to gather information. Neji and Hinata were pulled aside and sent to scour the village for hidden traps. Naruto, on the other hand, simply vanished and was nowhere to be seen. Well, to be fair, Naruto had split into a set of Kage bushin and was following each of the Konoha 10 while the original was talking to the ANBU.

By the end of the day, the situation had been resolved with minimal difficulty, and with Gennou as the only casualty. Naruto wondered if this light feeling rising in his chest was pride and if Kakashi had felt the same way every time Team 7 successfully completed a mission or did particularly well during their training.

* * *

TBC… 


	22. Chapter 21

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**Some Random Babbling:** Wow, Thanks to everyone who gave me advice for how to continue this chapter! I really appreciate it. Reading your reviews and encouragement really helped me crank out this story, and even went so far as to resurrect my late muse. Thanks for all your support! Now on with the story!

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_By the end of the day, the situation had been resolved with minimal difficulty, and with Gennou as the only casualty. Naruto wondered if this light feeling rising in his chest was pride and if Kakashi had felt the same way every time Team 7 successfully completed a mission or did particularly well during their training_.

**Chapter 21: Resolve (Complete)**

When Naruto wasn't substituting at the Academy or for the many jounin sensei in Konoha, he was performing C ranks on his own, or on patrol or guard duty. When he wasn't doing any of those, Naruto was training with Jiraiya, and sparring with Kakashi.

Throughout all of this, Iruka occasionally popped up, and while Naruto was civil to the Chunnin, there was always an underlying tension in each visit. Kakashi had a tendency to pop up unexpectedly, and drag away Naruto, inevitably cutting the meeting short, much to the blonde's relief. Iruka was reaching the end of his patience; he couldn't understand why this was happening.

The Chunnin wasn't sure how Naruto had heard anything he had said while on that mission with Kotetsu and Izumo, but however he had, Iruka felt that he had to explain to Naruto what he had meant. It was unfortunate that Kakashi was keeping him away from Naruto, but if there was one thing Iruka was known for, it was his obstinacy.

Time moved on, and it seemed to Naruto as if every moment not spent with the Konoha 10 or their respective jounin supervisors, then he was serving the Hokage as both jounin and Oracle. After what seemed to be an incredibly short time, Naruto's year of probation ended, and his ANBU watchers seemed to have disappeared into the woodwork.

Naruto, as Tsunade and the Sandaime had expected, moved to retake his position as a Hunter Ninja. The only difference was that instead of gaining the title because the Hunters were the ones who raised him, he earned the title the hard way and took the exam. As was expected, Naruto easily regained his name as Zeiguwa, though he wouldn't be able to return to the position of Number Three immediately, but he would have to work his way through the ranks like everybody else.

It was a good thing that Naruto wasn't someone who was afraid of hard work….

A week after he had regained his title as a Hunter, Tsunade summoned Zeiguwa to her, and Naruto put on the Hunter's mask for the first time in over a year. As soon as he felt the comforting weight of the cool porcelain against his skin, he felt as if a burden that he had been unaware of had just been lifted from his shoulders. Naruto had almost forgotten how much comfort Zeiguwa had given him.

Half an hour later found Zeiguwa leaping through the forests of Fire Country. He smiled in satisfaction. Yes, he had missed this, the silence and calm that came with being a Hunter, and the thrill of the Hunt.

Zeiguwa stepped into the Mission's Office, his entire body screaming confidence and self assurance despite his year long dismissal from the ranks of the Hunters and his current status as a low level Hunter.

Iruka studied the teen, and suddenly realized who could have been the one to tell Naruto about his conversation with Izumo and Kotetsu, thus sparking the hostility that currently lay between the three Chunnin and the Copy-ninja. It had been Zeiguwa who had been nearby when Iruka and Izumo and Kotetsu had had that conversation. There was no one else there at the time.

Iruka made a mental note to speak with Zeiguwa when he got the chance.

As the students poured out of the classroom, a window opened and a masked figure darted into the room. Iruka looked up and almost dropped the eraser that he was using to wipe off the chalkboard. There, standing with his back to the window, a black silhouette against the pale golden light of the noon time sun, was _him._

Zeiguwa.

"You looked like you wanted to speak with me in the Mission's Office, earlier," Zeiguwa said calmly.

"You said something to Naruto that implied that I didn't respect him," Iruka winced. He hadn't meant for it to come out so accusingly.

"I only told him what I heard."

"And you run off to tell him like a child tattling to the teacher about someone that they don't like."

"Was I wrong?" Zeiguwa demanded. "Naruto gives up a lot so we can be safe. He puts this village ahead of his dreams, and when we Hunters offered him a chance at a normal childhood before the Academy, he would rather learn to be a ninja. Naruto taught the Hunters to be human, gave us something to protect, taught us that it was alright to feel so long as it didn't interfere with our mission. All he wants is for the people he loves to love him in return, and for them to be safe. Was I wrong to want him to know the truth, however much it would hurt?"

"What truth did you tell him!?" Iruka demanded, "You told him that I only cared about that damned seal!"

"Don't you?"

"No!" Iruka roared. "I don't care about any damned seal! I care about Naruto! Naruto the person! Not the Jinchuuriki!"

Zeiguwa turned, and reached up to pull off the mask. He turned his head and Iruka gasped as familiar blue eyes set in a whiskered face appeared.

"If you didn't meant it, then why did you say it at the time?"

* * *

The room was spinning. He wasn't quite sure what was… Oh, right… now he remembered… Zeiguwas was Naruto… _Zeiguwa_ is _Naruto…_

Holy shit… No wonder Naruto was so upset. He had overheard his conversation with Kotetsu and Izumo, and had misunderstood…

He felt like such an ass. How could he have never noticed? Why hadn't he found it odd that all of a sudden, Naruto had been promoted to jounin when he had never even reached Chunnin rank?

No, wait, he was spacing out. Didn't he have a question to answer? Right…

* * *

"You either misheard, or you misunderstood what I was saying," he heard himself say from what seemed like a vast distance.

Naruto's face darkened with hurt and anger.

What?! No!!! Why the hell did he say that?! That wasn't what he meant!

"Then tell me what you said," the blonde said, his voice frigid, "And explain to me how I was suppose to interpret that."

* * *

Oh, ouch. Naruto was angry. No, he was more than angry, and if the bit of killing intent aimed at him was any indication, Naruto was

* * *

A cloaked and hooded figure stalked wordlessly to the bar and sat down, laying an arm on the counter. His free hand came up and formed half a ram seal and swiftly snapped his finger twice.

"Rough day, Zeiguwa-kun?" the bartender asked genially.

"You have no idea," the words came out in a low growl.

The bartender grinned. "Ah, yes, and it must have been particularly bad for you to resort to alcohol."

"Bad is not the word to describe it. Frustrating to the point of ruthless and senseless murder is more apt."

"Ah, but you wouldn't do that," the bartender grinned and set the drink in front of the Hunter, "You know you love us too much."

"If only that were not the case," Zeiguwa sighed, lifting his glass to cloth covered lips and swiftly downed the drink.

"Not gonna bitch tonight?"

"No."

"Then you might as well go upstairs, youngling. Your fellows will welcome your presence far more than this lot."

And it was true. The moment the bartender had spoke his name, the ninja around Zeiguwa had fallen silent, and several of them were edging away from the young Hunter.

Zeiguwa rolled his eyes, "For goodness sake. You'd think I was about to go nuts and just cut a bloody swath through the lot of them, the way they're acting, the idiots."

"Well, Konoha hasn't had a very good track record where prodigies are concerned," a familiar lazy voice said. "And you're almost at the age Itachi was when he massacred his clan."

"I'm not inbred like the Uchiha, Kakashi," Zeiguwa replied, glaring at the silver haired jounin.

Kakashi's eye turned upward in a lazy smile. "No, you're not, but you can't help that people do compare the both of you sometimes. Congratulations at your re-instatement as a Hunter, by the way."

Zeiguwa smiled, "Thank you, Kakashi."

"Shall I buy you a drink?"

"I'm underage."

"That didn't stop you earlier."

"I wasn't thinking straight."

"Very well, a non alcoholic drink then."

"Fine. I have something I need to tell you anyway."

"Very well."

And before the astonished eyes of the crowd, Kakashi slung his arm around Zeiguwa's shoulders and led him away. Once the two were out of sight, the whispers started up…

TBC…

**A/N: **Still short, but it is DONE! Well? What do you think? Will it work? Feedback, people, feedback! Thanks ever so much!

_SanadaSayuri_


	23. Chapter 22

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 22: Anchor **

Like most rooms in the second floor of the Locket, despite the number of occupants at the seven table placed around the room, it room was almost completely silent but for the clinking of silverware and the quiet rustle of fabric. There were three other ANBU in the room, their masks left on table in easy reach.

The three ANBU glanced up, as Kakashi and Naruto entered, and at the sight of the Hunter's mask and the cycloptic jounin, nodded deferentially to the child who was supposedly stronger than them, and the man who was once, and most likely still was stronger than them. Naruto inclined his head and his chakra shifted in neutral acknowledgement and the ANBU turned back to their food and drink and their quiet (more like wordless since they were conversing with body language and subtle shifts of their chakra) conversation. Kakashi allowed his chakra to shift slightly, before stomping his formidable control over it once more.

The two made their way into a corner, where Naruto performed a series of hand seals and there was a subtle shift in chakra in the area around their table.

At the other side of the room, the three ANBU twitched at the shifting chakra that had interfered with their attempts o overhear their former Commander and current Oracle's conversation.

Naruto sighed. What was it with becoming elites that would make ninja such gossips? And the ANBU! They were supposed to be elites! And their methods of eavesdropping were so obvious it was almost painful. Naruto rolled his eyes. Well, then again, most other ninja simply fed them false info. In the ninja grapevine, only half, sometimes even less, of what was spread was truth, but there was always truth somewhere, and ninja tended to be very adept at picking it out, especially the information gatherers. As a result, most of the higher ups simply kept their mouths shut or went to their offices or homes or training grounds to discuss sensitive things.

This, however, was something that would be very obvious, since there were only a handful of people permitted to approach an Oracle in such an intimate manner, and the vast majority of the ninja population in Konoha was already aware of the new Oracle. No, it would be necessary for Konoha to know who were the Oracle's anchor, so they knew who to go to if something were to happen to the Oracle. The Hokage would also know who to send with the Oracle for a long or short term mission incase something happened.

Naruto's chakra shifted slightly, and the barrier faded away, the chakra put into it, slowly returning to his stores. Seated in front of him, Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"I have begun the final choices for my anchors," he said quietly, "and I would like for you, Kakashi, to be one of them."

There was a shocked silence.

Kakashi rose to his feet slowly and circled the table. Once he was in front of the blonde, he knelt at his feet.

"I would be honored to serve as one of the Oracle's Anchors," he whispered.

Naruto smiled. His hand glowed slightly with chakra as he reached forward and touched the side of Kakashi's face that was covered. Kakashi twitched slightly as cool chakra spread over his skin, and vanished.

"Now we are bound to one another," Naruto said softly, "As Anchor and Oracle…"

* * *

Zeiguwa slipped wordlessly through the building, his sandals making no noise against the tiled floor. The ANBU and tokubetsu jounin who worked in the building he had entered seemed not to notice the Hunter walking among them, and if they did, they gave no sign of it.

Ibiki felt a slight shifting of chakra as the door of his office opened. The scarred jounin glanced up and froze at the sight of the Hunter. Ibiki forced his shoulders to relax and he gave the Hunter a grim smile.

"So what brings Zeiguwa to ANBU T&I?" he said.

Zeiguwa stared at him from under his mask and his hand rose to push the unadorned porcelain mask away from his face and Ibiki flinched to see the pale eyes of the Oracle revealed.

"Oracle," he breathed.

"I have selected my Mouth," Zeiguwa said calmly, "But I have neither the time more the experience to train her in the arts necessary to serve the Oracle. You who were twice over a Mouth to the Oracle, I would like for you to teach her what she must know."

Ibiki swallowed harshly. "And who would this girl be?"

"Hyuuga Hinata."

"Hiashi would be pleased by the honor," Ibiki said quietly, "But even more pressure would be put on the girl."

"I honor only Hyuuga Hinata, and not Hyuuga Hiashi," was the curt rebuttal.

"Of course," Ibiki agreed, "But that is not how the Hyuuga will see it."

"They may see it anyway they wish, but if any harm comes to my Mouth, I will show no mercy."

"Of course, Lord Oracle," Ibiki inclined his head. "I will be honored to be the instructor to your new Mouth."

"Thank you, Morino-san," the mask was fitted firmly over the blonde's face once again. "I thank you for your help."

And before Ibiki could say another word, Zeiguwa was gone, leaving no trace of his presence in the office.

Ibiki leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together. "Hyuuga Hinata, eh?"

He opened a drawer and lifted out a framed photo of a jounin standing behind three children.

"Your successor is doing well, Chizuru," he murmured quietly, "and I keep my promise even now."

* * *

Hiashi stared at the message that lay on his desk. He sighed and summoned a Branch House member and sent them to summon his eldest daughter to him…

* * *

TBC...

_SanadaSayuri_


	24. Chapter 23

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SS's Notes:** Naruto released the barrier because he's somewhat sure that the ANBU wouldn't try to eavesdrop again. Chances are, they will, but Naruto doesn't think it's important to keep the identity of his Anchor secret from anyone but Danzo.

**Previously on Soundscape…**

"_I have begun the final choices for my anchors," he said quietly, "and I would like for you, Kakashi, to be one of them."_

_There was a shocked silence._

_Kakashi rose to his feet slowly and circled the table. Once he was in front of the blonde, he knelt at his feet._

"_I would be honored to serve as one of the Oracle's Anchors," he whispered._

_Naruto smiled. His hand glowed slightly with chakra as he reached forward and touched the side of Kakashi's face that was covered. Kakashi twitched slightly as cool chakra spread over his skin, and vanished._

"_Now we are bound to one another," Naruto said softly, "As Anchor and Oracle…"_

**Chapter 23: Slipping**

Her hands were shaking, Hiashi noted with distaste. He eyes were lowered, her shoulders slumped, and her breathing was rough, shallow, ragged with fear.

"_The Oracle wanted __**this**__ weakling for his Mouth?"_ Hiashi snarled mentally. _"What good is a weakling to the Last Kazama?"_

"Hinata," he said, his voice betraying nothing of what he felt.

"Y-y-yes, f-f-father?"

Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "I have received a request from the Oracle. He desires you as his Mouth. This is a great honor, one that is not given to just anyone. If you are turned away because you are a poor servant, you can be guaranteed a position in the Branch House."

Hinata blanched. "Y-y-yes, f-f-f-father…"

"Go and pack only what you can carry. The Oracle's representative will collect you at noon."

"Y-y-y-yes, f-f-f-father…"

* * *

Across the village, a pair of golden seven pointed stars swirled in pale blue.

"That man isn't fit to be a father," Naruto snarled as the Yochigan's rotation slowed and came to a stop.

* * *

Hinata fidgeted under the stern gaze of Morino Ibiki, her fingers nervously picking at the straps of her bag.

"Is that all you intend to take?" Ibiki asked.

"F-f-father said t-t-to p-p-p-pack l-li-li-light…" Hinata stuttered.

"You will be living in the Oracle's residence for the next month, that little bag may not be enough," Ibiki said, "If there is anything else you'd like to bring, you should go get it. I will wait here."

"I-I-I have e-e-everyth-th-th-thing…"

Ibiki nodded. "Very well, come with me then."

"H-h-hai…"

* * *

_He was surrounded by darkness… There were swift flickers of color and sounds, a mad jumble of color and noise… He stood there, reaching outward, and the flickers grazed his fingertips, slowing for the briefest of moments before flashing away._

_One image in particular paused before him, one that he turned his eyes away from…_

_He didn't want to see this!_

_But it was there, no matter how he twisted and turned, the image was always there, mocking him, twin images of death…_

_Even the images of Konoha's future, for better or for worse, were overlaid by the terrible images…_

"—sen-sama…"

_It was so clear, he blood pooling and dying the grass red…_

"—sen-sama!"

_The tears sparkling in dark eyes… the pain, gods, the pain!_

"Takusen-sama!"

A quick pinprick of pain on his bicep jerked him out of the flow of visions.

He looked up to find a scared visage in front of him, dark eyes looking down in worry. Naruto shifted, and Ibiki moved away, and the blonde could see behind the man was Hinata, who was pressing her index together in nervousness and worry.

"That's a disgusting habit," Naruto said absently as he hauled himself to his feet, "It makes you look weak. As my Mouth, if you look weak, I look weak. Break yourself of that habit."

Hinata flushed and looked away.

Naruto rolled his eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow at Ibiki, who shrugged in reply to the silent question.

Naruto sighed and said dryly, "Whatever. I leave the matter to you," and vanished into another room, and Ibiki placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder and steered her away. Hinata cringed. Naruto wasn't pleased with her… She was going to be sent home in disgrace, she just knew it…

TBC…

**Totally Random Babbling:** yes, yes, I know, too short, not even worthy of being considered a chapter, but what can you do? Also, please, please, please offer more substantial reviews than just, "Good job" or "Update soon"? I find that the more bulk to a review, the more willing my muses are to keep working on a story.

_SanadaSayuri_


	25. Chapter 24

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SS's Notes:** All bow down before the power of Grumpy!Agitated!Naruto!!!!!!!! –insert evil laughter here—

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Naruto rolled his eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow at Ibiki, who shrugged in reply to the silent question._

_Naruto sighed and said dryly, "Whatever. I leave the matter to you," and vanished into another room, and Ibiki placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder and steered her away. Hinata cringed. Naruto wasn't pleased with her… She was going to be sent home in disgrace, she just knew it…_

**Chapter 24: For Better or for Worse**

Once ensconced in the dimly lit bedroom, Naruto sat on the bed and dropped his head into his hands and released a shaky breath. He had not meant to be so cruel to Hinata, but what he had seen… The blonde shook his head, lashing out at the images and pushing it away. He lay back on his bed and closed his eyes, sinking deep into his mind, and moving through the familiar twists and turns that made up his psyche to the massive gates that contained the Kyuubi.

* * *

"Well?" he said quietly, looking up at the massive red eyes of the nine tailed fox. "How are things on this side of existence?"

The Kyuubi released a low keening noise.

"That bad, huh?"

"Your eyes and mind are deteriorating!" the Kyuubi snarled, "Of course it's that bad!"

Naruto sighed and looked away. "I see… How much longer do I have?"

The Kyuubi settled down, curling its tails around its body and delicately tucking its paws beneath the tails. Its ears flicked slightly and the Kyuubi growled.

"Not long, I'm afraid."

"Less general if you please."

"You have at least three months before you become a gibbering vegetable."

Naruto's lips curved in a sad smile. "That long, huh?"

"The establishment of an Anchor stabilized your mind somewhat, but the damage has been there for a long time. It will take more than one Anchor to stabilize your mind completely. Another two or three may buy you another two months at best. Selecting and completing a bond with your chosen Mouth should give you another two months."

"Five months for sure then."

"There isn't much time left for you brat."

"I never had much time to start with. I'm actually surprised that I survived this long."

"Since when have you been this pessimistic, brat?"

Naruto smiled happily. "I've always been this way. I'm just very good at hiding it."

Kyuubi smirked. "The same way you hide how much you want that Scarecrow to make love to you?"

Naruto flushed angrily, "That's none of your business, Kyuubi!"

Kyuubi laughed. "Get out of here, brat."

Naruto opened his eyes and snarled wordlessly before stalking into the restroom, stripping off his clothes as he went.

* * *

Time passed slowly for Hinata, and as another day passed, she relaxed, and she began to wonder if maybe, maybe, that other day was just because Naruto was upset and stressed out. Morino Ibiki-san had already hinted that all Oracles were required to see to the well being of their wards and servants, and as a rule, saw things they don't want to, and after leaving the vision, tended to lash out. As the oracle's Chosen Mouth, she was to serve until she died or the Oracle died. It would be her duty as the Oracle's Mouth to take the Oracle's terror and anger at the visions onto herself, soothe away the Oracle's horror, record it, then relay the vision to either the Hokage or Ruling Council if the Oracle felt that it was required.

As the month drew to a close, Hinata learned all that Ibiki had to teach her about serving the Oracle, and she received an unexpected visit from the Oracle.

Naruto apologized or his harsh words when they first met a month ago. She forgave him even as her heart broke for him, and it was then that she swore that she would do everything in her power to make Naruto's life easier…

Before that, however, she would be officially presented to the Anchors already established as the oracle's Mouth. After that, for better or for worse, her life would be irrevocably changed…

* * *

Nara Shikamaru had not understood why the Oracle had selected him as an Anchor. Surely someone else would be a better choice. But the Nara knew that it was futile to try to talk the blonde out of his decision. Either way, Shikamaru was honored that the blonde trusted him enough to place his sanity in his hands, and was more than willing to do what he could.

Today would change his life, Shikamaru knew, since he was meeting for the first time, his fellow Anchors, and the girl that Naruto had chosen to be his Mouth…

For better or for worse, he was now bound to his oath to the Oracle…

As he left the Nara compound, only one thought stood out in Shikamaru's mind…

_How troublesome…

* * *

_

Rock Lee was somber as he prepared to leave his apartment. He knew that he was useless as a ninja since his body only made enough chakra for him to survive, and his only selling point was his ability in taijutsu. He couldn't, for the life of him, understand why the Oracle had selected him as an Anchor.

Despite his lack of understanding of the reasoning behind the Oracle's decision, Lee was honored to know that he was being entrusted with the sanity and safety of one of the most powerful people in the village. If nothing else, he would protect Naruto as well as his fellow anchors to the best of his ability. He was being given the highest honor in Konoha, he could not do anything but give his all. It would be dishonorable and ungrateful to give anything but his best, especially since Naruto was acknowledging his ability as a ninja.

For better or for worse, Rock Lee's life would change, and for better or for worse, his entire devotion would be given to the Oracle…

* * *

Ibiki was seated alone at a table in the center of the floating platform in the Locket. He toyed with his drink as he mused over the changes in hierarchy that would be taking place that day. Once Hinata was officially recognized as the Oracle's Mouth, he would no longer hold that title. He wouldn't miss the position or the responsibilities that came with the title, but he would miss being the Oracle's Mouth.

He had held that title for so long that it had almost become a part of him. It would be a relief to surrender the title, but he would miss it. There was something about being a Mouth that transcended his ability to describe, but it was there. He would always be trusted by the Oracle since he had once been an Oracle's Mouth, and the current Mouth would come to him for advice, as he had gone to previous Mouths in the past, but it would be vastly different from actually _being_ the Oracle's Mouth.

There were no words to describe the feeling, but Ibiki was still perfectly content. For whatever reason, the Oracle was unwilling to completely let him go, and as such, he too would be one of the Anchors. It would be strange to be one of those he had once stood above, but he was sure it would be fine. He would still be in the Oracle's service, after all. For Ibiki, who had spent most of his life under the service of the Oracle, that was more than enough.

* * *

Konohamaru stood in front of the front door of his house, his hand on the doorknob. Once he stepped out of the house today, his life would be changed forever. His grandfather had already told him that he would be the youngest Anchor to ever enter the Oracle's service, and that it was an honor to be entrusted with the Oracle's mental and physical wellbeing.

All of that was all well and good, but would the village see him for him? It was bad enough that most of the time, the village only saw the Honored grandson, the Sandaime Hokage's grandchild, but what about after it became public knowledge that he was one of the Oracle's anchors? Konohamaru knew that Naruto-nii-chan would always see him as just Konohamaru, but what about his fellow Anchors, and Naruto-nii-chan's Mouth? Would they see him as Konohamaru and a fellow Anchor, or would they only see the Sandaime's grandson like the rest of the village?

"Don't be nervous, Konohamaru."

Konohamaru whirled around at his grandfather's voice and put on a cocky smile and said in his most self assured voice, "I'm not nervous at all! I'll be the best Anchor in the Oracle's service, and then I'll become Hokage! Just wait and see!"

The Sandaime chuckled. "I have no doubt of that, Konohamaru. Now, go on, you don't want to keep the Oracle or your fellow Anchors waiting…"

"I know that!" Konohamaru yelled, "I'm off!" He spun around and flung open the door and raced away, his heart fluttering in his chest.

This was it. He had taken the first step. From this point on, for better or for worse, he was in the Oracle's service, and Konohamaru knew that he would never be just another ninja, and that his life would never be the same again.

* * *

"_I have begun the final choices for my anchors," he said quietly, "and I would like for you, Kakashi, to be one of them."_

_There was a shocked silence._

_Kakashi rose to his feet slowly and circled the table. Once he was in front of the blonde, he knelt at his feet._

"_I would be honored to serve as one of the Oracle's Anchors," he whispered._

_Naruto smiled. His hand glowed slightly with chakra as he reached forward and touched the side of Kakashi's face that was covered. Kakashi twitched slightly as cool chakra spread over his skin, and vanished._

"_Now we are bound to one another," Naruto said softly, "As Anchor and Oracle…"_

Kakashi stood in front of the Hero's Memorial as he mused over what had happened a few days ago. Today, he would embark on a new journey, and meet his fellow Anchors, and truly become a servant of the Oracle.

He knew that the number of Anchors would only grow since it was the support of the Anchors that kept each generation of Oracles sane, and their support would root Naruto more firmly in the present and extend the length of his life.

It would be far too much to ask for Naruto to live to be an old man since oracles never lived past their fortieth birthday, with only one exception. Of all the Oracles ho had ever lived in Konoha, only Kazama Soramaru, who had aided in the founding of Konoha, had ever lived to see old age. All other oracles had either been assassinated, a rare occurrence to be sure, or had died in Konoha's defense, a fairly common occurrence, or had committed suicide, a much more common cause of death.

The mere thought of Naruto dying caused a knot to form in his chest, and Kakashi knew without a doubt that he felt much more for Naruto than what normally lay between teacher and student.

Whatever the reason, Kakashi would defend Naruto till his dying day, and if he fell in the Oracle's service, then at least he would die protecting someone he loved.

Kakashi knew without a doubt that he was important to Naruto, how important, he wasn't sure. Unknown to Kakashi, he would find out a lot sooner than he thought, and when that happened, he would know far more about what he felt for the blonde than he would ever expect…

Kakashi knelt and briefly ran his fingers across several names, before standing and vanishing in a puff of chakra smoke.

He had a meeting to attend after all, and it would not do to keep the Oracle waiting.

* * *

Six lives came together on that day, guided by fate, and as their destinies ran their course, their numbers would grow, and by their deeds, they would bring an end to the ever repeating tragedy of love of death that came with the overwhelming love of an Oracle…

This was their fate, for better or for worse….

And Fate would not be denied…

* * *

TBC…

**Totally Random Babbling:** I think I'll need to take political studies or something…. I don't know how to write an attempted political coup! –goes and cries in corner—

_SanadaSayuri_


	26. Chapter 25

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SS's Notes:** I'm not happy with the ending to the last chapter, not at all. My muses think its ok, but I think it's too sappy. But then all the reviews came in, and so many people liked it, so the ending to the last chapter is here to stay! Thank you all for your support! Now on with the story!

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Six lives came together on that day, guided by fate, and as their destinies ran their course, their numbers would grow, and by their deeds, they would bring an end to the ever repeating tragedy of love of death that came with the overwhelming love of an Oracle…_

_This was their fate, for better or for worse…._

_And Fate would not be denied…_

**Chapter 25: Freefall**

Naruto, dressed as a Hunter, his mask secured at his belt, smiled as he stood on top of a billboard sign advertising a newly opened weapons shop and looked through a window at the six Konoha-ninja who were meeting for the first time under the service of the Oracle. There was a swirl of leaves and a silver haired old man appeared, sitting beside him.

"Is this alright?" Jiraiya asked, "Not introducing me to them, I mean?"

"It's fine," Naruto said. "At least one Anchor is kept secret at all times, so if something happens, there is one still alive to Anchor the Oracle. In theory, it's the perfect backup plan. In the end, it's merely tradition. Hinata, as my Mouth, will be the only other person to know the identity of the Shadow Anchor. Ibiki, having once been a Mouth himself, will know that there is another Anchor somewhere, he just won't know who it is."

Jiraiya sighed. "Man, I knew the Kazama Clan had complicated traditions, but this one is just plain weird."

Naruto twitched. "The Oracle is the Kazama Clan's greatest commodity. The Clan will do whatever it takes to ensure the Oracle's long life."

"That's all and well, but what about your teammates?"

"Sasuke, so long as he follows the path of an avenger, will never mature, and I can never trust him with something as delicate as the Yochigan," Naruto said calmly. "Sakura lacks maturity. I cannot trust her not to treat this like a game. Kakashi is the only one in Team 7 that I can trust to be an Anchor."

"Oho!" Jiraiya grinned, "Are you sure you didn't just make him an Anchor so you would have an excuse to keep him near you?"

Naruto blanched. "Wha-what are you talking about?"

Jiraiya looked like the cat that caught the canary as he said, "So you do like him."

Naruto huffed. "Of course I do! He is—was—my jounin sensei!"

"Is that _all_ he is to you?" Jiraiaya leered.

Naruto spluttered. "Shut up you pervert!"

Jiraiya's face became solemn. "It's not a crime to love, you know."

Naruto looked away. "A Kazama's life is too short for it to be safe to make any permanent attachments."

"Kazama Clan Rhetoric," Jiraiya said dryly, "Your father used that excuse too, and then he married your mother."

"Father was not an Oracle," Naruto said quietly, lowering his head so his bangs covered his eyes.

"No, he was not an Oracle," Jiraiya agreed, "But he had an advanced form of the Insight, didn't he? That's probably as close to the Yochigan as a Kazama Son can get."

Naruto said nothing.

Jiraiya leaned back slightly, and said quietly, "As a ninja, you are entitled to love and make your life with whomever you choose. That hitae-ate means you're an adult, and most other ninja won't say a word, even if your lover is several decades older than you are since they know the hardships of being a ninja can only be offset by the presence of someone you love. The only people who will make a ruckus would be the civilians. Life for a ninja is much too short to reject your own feelings, you know?"

"…"

Jiraiya stood up and formed the ram seal. "Think about it," he said, and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Naruto closed his eyes, and gathered up the dark emotions that Jiraiya's words had pulled up, and shoved it all behind the bars of the seal, into Kyuubi's waiting paws, to be locked away until there was a chance for him to go through it without loosing his mind.

* * *

_The Hunter knelt there, his eyes watchful. Movement caught his attention and his muscles coiled and tensed, preparing to pounce… The bushes rustled and a dark figure emerged, fighting their way out of the undergrowth. There was a flash of silver as moonlight reflected off metal. The Hunter recognized the symbol. Hidden Sound. It was his prey._

_There was a faint whistle as the Hunter lazily tossed several weapons in the direction of the figure. As he expected, the Sound ninja dodged, and the Hunter was ready for it. There was only the weight of his blade in his hand and the thrill of the Hunt as he raced forward, seemingly appearing out of nowhere in front of the ninja. And then there was the sound of metal slicing through blood and bone and the coppery scent of blood as it splashed out of delicate veins, over finely wrought steel and onto the surrounding forest…

* * *

_

Word spreads quickly in Konoha.

Within hours of the meeting, everyone was aware of who held the Oracle's greatest trust. Naruto stood alone on the Hokage's monument, his eyes watching dispassionately as the village below seethed like a kicked anthill.

There was a strange feeling welling in his heart, one that told him that his Mouth should have been someone else, that by rights, his current sworn Mouth should have been an Anchor.

Naruto knew the feeling.

He knew exactly why he felt it.

Every Oracle chose a potential lover before they chose anything else, and it was that person who was the Mouth. To put someone else in that position, when it was the Mouth to whom the Oracle would go to for support and comfort, as well as advice, he had been foolish, but the Oath had been taken and accepted. There was no chance of selecting a new Mouth unless Hinata died, and since she had been sworn, Konoha would protect her as furiously as they protected him.

Naruto didn't mind. He wanted it this way.

However much he loved Kakashi, he dared not approach the man; dared not bare his heart to him as he would have to with his Mouth.

He regretted nothing of his choices.

But if that was so, than why did his heart hurt?

* * *

Hinata knew very well that she wasn't the one who was supposed to be Naruto's Mouth. Anyone who knew anything about the Kazama Clan knew that the Oracles tended to select their lovers as their Mouths, and Hinata knew that Naruto didn't see her in that light. She knew, however, that people tended to attack the Mouth, knowing that the close bond that tended to lie between Oracle and Mouth would hurt the Oracle, and Hinata knew without a doubt that she was the decoy for the Anchor that should have had her spot.

Whomever Naruto's most precious person was, Hinata would protect them, for Naruto's sake. If Naruto was happy with someone other than her, then she would be happy for him, and protect them both. Only Naruto's smile could make her smile, and she would preserve that with everything she had. That was a promise….

She was not meant to be Naruto's Mouth, but since she was there, she would fulfill the duties of that position and ensure Naruto's happiness. She would not allow anyone to keep Naruto from being happy, no matter what…

Because Naruto's happiness was her happiness…

* * *

There was a strange feeling welling up in him…

Kakashi didn't have to wonder what he was feeling when he saw Hinata.

It was jealousy. Pure and simple.

Anyone who knew anything about Oracles knew that the position of Mouth was usually filled by the Oracle's lover.

Kakashi just wished that it was him instead of Hinata…

* * *

Ibiki remembered when he was Mouth to Chizuru, Naruto's Aunt, and the previous Oracle. He knew what the second meaning behind the title of Mouth meant.

Lover…

But Naruto held no such feelings for Hinata.

Ibiki wasn't blind. He could see the jealousy in Kakashi's eye when he watched the two together, could see the frequent looks Naruto gave to Kakashi. He could see that Hinata could see that she was not supposed to be the Mouth.

Whatever the Oracle was planning, Ibiki could only hope that things would turn out alright despite the convoluted circles in which events seemed to travel in, because the person who was supposed to be an Anchor was the Mouth, and the person who was supposed to be the Mouth was an Anchor…

TBC …

**Totally Random Babbling:** It got shorter... ((falls on face))

_SanadaSayuri_


	27. Chapter 26

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SS's Notes:** Sigh, another filler chapter just passed on by… One attempted political Coup coming right up!

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Ibiki remembered when he was Mouth to Chizuru, Naruto's Aunt, and the previous Oracle. He knew what the second meaning behind the title of Mouth meant._

_Lover…_

_But Naruto held no such feelings for Hinata._

_Ibiki wasn't blind. He could see the jealousy in Kakashi's eye when he watched the two together, could see the frequent looks Naruto gave to Kakashi. He could see that Hinata could see that she was not supposed to be the Mouth._

_Whatever the Oracle was planning, Ibiki could only hope that things would turn out alright despite the convoluted circles in which events seemed to travel in, because the person who was supposed to be an Anchor was the Mouth, and the person who was supposed to be the Mouth was an Anchor…_

**Chapter 26: Planning**

Neji blinked at Naruto. "You're kidding me."

Naruto's eyes were solemn. "I don't kid about such things."

"Are you sure this is alright though? Hinata-sama is already your Mouth."

"The Hyuuga Clan is on the brink of downfall. Hyuuga Hiashi has sided with Danzo, who is planning a coup d'etat which would throw Konoha into a civil war. If we are fighting among ourselves, we won't be able to defend ourselves when other villages come to pick us off."

"But what about Hanabi-sama?"

"Is she involved?"

"She's supposed to take Hinata-sama's words and twist it to fit the Hyuuga ideals so they benefit us."

"I can only save those who are not involved. I'm sorry."

"But she has taken nothing from Hinata. Despite her attitude, she does love Hinata-sama, and thinks that because she is more powerful, she must protect her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"We don't have much time. If she is not involved, I will save her if it is in my power."

"…"

"I will not force you into the position if you do not want it," Naruto said gently, "But as my Anchor, you are entitled to my protection, which means that the Caged Bird Seal on you would be removed."

"I will become one of your Anchors, Neji said, "But please leave the seal. I will keep it until the seals on the other Branch House members are removed."

Naruto smiled. "As you wish. Now, about Hanabi…"

* * *

Sakura sat on the railings of the bridge that Team 7 normally met at, and frowned to see Kakashi and Naruto arrive at approximately the same time. There was something going on here, and ever since Naruto's demotion to jounin, and the revelation that Naruto had been above her precious Sasuke-kun, Sakura had noticed that there was something growing between Kakashi and Naruto.

But then recently, there were rumors going around that the Copy Ninja had taken a lover, a Hunter-nin. Sakura may have been one of Sasuke's die-hard fangirls, but even she had eyes, and she could easily see how Kakashi's simple presence affected Naruto. She didn't so much dislike Naruto as she distrusted him, and she couldn't help the twinges of vindictive pleasure to see how Kakashi's presence brought the blonde pain.

Naruto was stronger than Sasuke, the entire team had been badly injured but for Naruto and Shikamaru, but Naruto still hadn't bought back Sasuke. For that, Sakura would never forgive him. And if Naruto wasn't going to make any effort to bring Sasuke back to Konoha, and back to her, Sakura would just have to get stronger and do it herself.

* * *

Sarutobi and Tsunade were wading through the piles of paperwork, and both were somewhat abashed to realize that were papers from the Yondaime's brief time in office that still needed to be filed. The door was flung open as Sakura barged in, her eyes determined. Sarutobi smiled knowingly and left the office, leaving Tsunade to deal with a determined and angry genin.

* * *

Naruto was on his way out of the village when he ran into a man with a missing arm and eye. His face smoothed into an expressionless mask when he recognized the man.

"Danzo."

"Hello, Zeiguwa-kun," Danzo said amiably. "I have a proposition for you."

"I had no intention of joining ROOT when I first became a Hunter, and I have no intention of joining the ROOT now," Naruto said firmly.

"You made yourself perfectly clear five years ago," Danzo said, "Rather, I wish to inquire as to your intention about the situation regarding Uchiha Sasuke."

"If I see him again, I will kill him."

Danzo's smile widened. "As I thought. I have information as to where he will be in a few months. Would you by any means be interested in working with one of my members to bring down the threat of Orochimaru and simultaneously removing Uchiha Sasuke?"

"I am not permitted to actively hunt either of them down."

"It will not be a problem." Danzo's smile was pleasant, "One Haruno Sakura has recently been taken on as Tsunade's apprentice. At the same time, she has been requesting that the Hokage send out a second retrieval team. Simultaneously, I have been putting pressure on Tsunade to permit the second team to be sent out. As your team is lacking a member, I would be willing send you one of my agents to aid you in this mission, and then you may eliminate Uchiha Sasuke while my agent strikes against Orochimaru."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Even if this agent is a ROOT ANBU, I highly doubt that he would be able to bring down Orochimaru alone."

"Perhaps not," Danzo said, "But I know that Hatake Kakashi will be on a mission during the time that the mission takes place, and there will be another ANBU there. He is loyal to Tsunade, but that is easily countered. Just about every ninja in this village will follow the Oracle's word after all…"

"And how can you be sure that Kakashi will not be present for this mission?"

"I have arranged…"

"Be sure to know, Danzo," Naruto hissed, "That Hatake Kakashi is one of my Anchors. If any harm comes to him during your arrangement, I will show you no mercy."

Danzo coughed nervously and he smiled and said, "Of course, Naruto-kun. No harm will come to Hatake. It's an A class, well within his abilities to perform without mishaps… Now, as I was saying…"

Naruto's eyes narrowed….

* * *

Kakashi arrived at the Locket, and the Bartender tossed him a keycard without looking twice. The jounin caught the card with ease, and made his way upstairs.

A little known fact about the Locket was that if you had the cash, you could actually close off one of the rooms upstairs, and as long as one was among the people the bartender had been alerted to, you had access to a room that was soundproof and airtight, with seals set in various parts of the room, including the inside of the air ducts and ventilation systems to recycle and move the air and also filter out toxins and sound so no one outside could hear what was going on, but people inside could hear what was outside. With a bit more cash, one could have the room furnished in whatever way one wished. The basement of the Locket was filled with sealing scrolls containing furniture from all over the world for this purpose.

Ever since Kakashi had been sworn as Naruto's Anchor, their meetings in the Locket almost always took place in a private room that was closed off to all but those Naruto allowed in.

Kakashi swiped the card through the slot and opened the door as the red light flashed and turned green. He pushed the door open and paused, studying the interior of the room, which was the smallest that the Locket provided.

The six to seven tables that normally occupied the room had vanished, leaving a portable bar against the northern wall. A single round table surrounded by eight chairs was in the center of the room on top of a round, plush rug. Several folding screens were placed around the room, and wall scrolls were mounted on the normally bare walls to give the impression of warmth. Of the twenty-eight lights in the room, only seven were on, all of them, predictably, were in the center. In one of the seats was a figure clad as a Hunter. The unadorned porcelain mask lay on the table while a mop of golden hair was bent over a scroll.

Kakashi stepped inside, gently shutting the door behind him and stood halfway between the door and table and studied the blonde, his sole visible eye tracing the curve of the neck, the slope of the brow, the clear cerulean eyes, and admiring how the light reflected off each strand of golden hair, and the pale skin of that beautiful, ageless face of child who had never been a child. Absently, he wondered how it would feel to have that lithe body under his, and how that smooth, pale skin would feel against his own darker, scarred body.

He shook the thoughts away and stepped forward to take a seat across from the blonde…

* * *

Naruto had been aware of Kakashi the moment the older man had stepped into the room. He'd had to suppress a shiver of excitement when the silver haired jounin had stopped and stared at him, and could almost feel the weight of the man's gaze on his body. It had taken almost all of his self control to keep his eyes on the scroll and not lift his head to meet the jounin's eyes. Naruto knew if he looked into Kakashi's eyes while he was watching him, he wouldn't be able to hide anything from the man…

He suppressed a sigh as Kakashi took a seat in front of him.

So near, yet so far…

He wanted nothing more than to surge out of his seat and press his lips to Kakashi's to strip off both their masks and join their bodies together, to feel Kakashi's warmth against his skin, to have Kakashi inside of him… He wanted it so badly…

But no… It was for the best if they did not come together, for theirs was a love that would end poorly. There was no place in an Oracle's life for love… And as much as it hurt, Naruto knew that he could not love Kakashi and still be Konoha's Oracle. If he succumbed to that love, he would be Kakashi's Oracle, and not Konoha, and for now, he had to be Konoha's Oracle…

But still…

Naruto raised his head and rolled up the scroll.

"The Akatsuki have stopped their movements for now," he said quietly. "And for the next three years, we need only worry about the threat that lies within our own village."

"Yamato is already watching Danzo's ROOT members in the ANBU," Kakashi said. "Ibiki is watching the ROOT member that has managed to enter the ANBU T&I."

"I have spoken with Neji, the Hyuugas are planning something."

"And Hinata doesn't know about it?"

"They haven't spoken to her. Despite their pride, the Hyuuga seem to be aware that as my Mouth, Hinata will report anything that may endanger this village straight to me, and I will report it to the Hokage. That is why I will need Neji, and if he can sway her to our side, Hanabi." Naruto leaned back in his chair and studied Kakashi for a moment, then said quietly, "Have Gai watch over Neji. If Neji needs to pull Hanabi out quickly, he should trust Gai enough for him to do it. Also, keep an eye on Sakura. Being Tsunade's apprentice means she'll have access to information; information that she may leak out to other villages just to spite me."

Kakashi's eye darkened. "I know Sakura is a but dense and self absorbed…"

"I'm not saying that she will betray us, I'm saying that it's a possibility, one I won't discount. Konoha is far too weak at this moment for us to overlook anything."

Kakashi nodded and stood up. "If you insist… I can call in that favor that Owl owes me, and have her watch Sakura."

Kakashi paused at the door when Naruto said quietly, "Do as you like. Personally, though? I'd save that favor for a rainy day and watch Sakura myself, but that's just me."

Kakashi turned the doorknob and paused again as Naruto spoke once more.

"Be careful. Danzo has planned something that involves you. Of my Anchors, you are my most precious. I would be very upset to loose you."

Kakashi felt warmth spread throughout him at Naruto's words. He gave the blonde a warm smile, then opened the door and left.

Naruto stared after the man and closed his eyes.

"Well? What do you think?"

A light turned on in the corner, revealing the shadow of a young woman kneeling next to a low table against one of the screens. She lifted a cup to her lips and lowered it.

"I think you should just tell him how you feel," she said calmly.

Naruto gave the screen an irritated look. "That wasn't the question I was asking, Hinata."

Hinata chuckled. "All I know is that Neji is not the most priceless of your Anchors. One of the most useful, perhaps, but not the most priceless."

Naruto sighed and walked over to the mini bar. "I thought that having Ibiki train you as my Mouth would help you. I see that it's worked too well."

"Be that as it may, you cannot admit that you like how I've turned out."

"You are more confident in yourself, which makes you stronger and more capable of helping me protect what I hold most dear. That makes you extremely precious to me."

"Neji-nii-san is your next appointment, followed by Jiraiya-sama, followed by Iruka-sensei and Anko-san," Hinata said quietly. Her voice gave no hints about her feelings.

"Oh rapturous joy," Naruto turned and leaned against the bar. He sipped his drink and said quietly, "Remind me to hold the next meeting in the Kazama Compound, Hinata? I'll run out of money if I keep on renting rooms here at the Locket."

"Hai, Takusen-sama."

* * *

Hinata knew without a doubt that Naruto loved Kakashi, and that she was precious to him as a friend. She knew that he knew how much she loved him, which is why he had placed her where she was. The duty of a Mouth was to see to the Oracle's emotional and physical needs as well as representing them to the general public. To protect Naruto's heart, she had to protect his precious people, and Hinata knew that Naruto had chosen wisely. She would protect Naruto's precious people because Naruto was precious to her, and all she wanted was for Naruto to be happy. And if Naruto was happy she would be happy.

That was why when Naruto said that she was precious to him; she felt a surge of pride. She was precious and useful to him, and it made him happy. If Naruto was happy, then so was she.

TBC …

**Totally Random Babbling:** Yay! It got longer!!!! –prances around in joy and trips and falls on face— Owieee…

--gets smashed with giant mallet by Sanada-muse—

Sanada-muse: In the meantime… Is anyone willing to help us write a failed political coup? We're good for fantasy, crack, fiction, angst, romance, and tragedy, but not much else… hehe… --sweatdrops—

SS: Also…. Please don't kill me! I know I gave Hinata a Haku complex! But you have to admit that from what we see of Hinata so far, it really does suit her. She may eventually grow out of it, but until then…

_SanadaSayuri_


	28. Chapter 27

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SS's Notes:** have I ever mentioned how much I hate one liner reviews? It's irritating! My muses are starving for want for someone who will ask questions, and offer advice or ideas! Look at them! _–pushes starved looking Kakashi-muse toward readers—_poor things are starved… Please feed my muses more substantial reviews! No more one liner reviews!

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Kakashi nodded and stood up. "If you insist… I can call in that favor that Owl owes me, and have her watch Sakura."_

_Kakashi paused at the door when Naruto said quietly, "Do as you like. Personally, though? I'd save that favor for a rainy day and watch Sakura myself, but that's just me."_

_Kakashi turned the doorknob and paused again as Naruto spoke once more._

"_Be careful. Danzo has planned something that involves you. Of my Anchors, you are my most precious. I would be very upset to lose you."_

_Kakashi felt warmth spread throughout him at Naruto's words. He gave the blonde a warm smile, then opened the door and left._

_Naruto stared after the man and closed his eyes._

**Chapter 27: Echoes**

Tsunade crossed her fingers and braced her elbows on the desk and watched Naruto from beneath her eyelashes. Naruto sat still, his head tilted back as Hinata stood protectively behind him, her Byakugan active, carefully monitoring his bodily functions and the flow of his chakra. Kakashi leaned against the door, bracing it shut with his weight. Outside, Ibiki leaned against the wall, his head down, and his senses reaching out in all directions.

Naruto's eyes snapped open to reveal a madly spinning Yochigan. Kakashi's visible eye narrowed as Hinata stiffened. The rotation of the seven pronged star slowed, and gradually came to a halt, and Naruto slowly straightened in his seat. Hinata reached into her equipment pouch and pulled out a plastic bag containing a moist towel.

"Well?" Tsunade's voice was calm. "Will it be wise to send out a second retrieval team so soon after the last one?"

"It would be best if we did," Naruto answered as he took the moist towel from Hinata and cleaned the blood off his face. "Orochimaru would be caught unaware, and it would be the best chance we have of retrieving the Sharingan, dead or alive."

Tsunade sighed.

"Very well. In three weeks, a retrieval team will be sent out to bring Uchiha Sasuke back to Konoha dead or alive. If you manage to eliminate Orochimaru as well, then all the better."

* * *

There were two all ninja bars in Konoha. One was fairly well known and well populated by the majority of the ninja in Konoha. The other was known only among the Masked Elite, namely the ANBU and the Hunters of Konoha. Unlike the Locket, which had a name, the second bar had no real name, and it was referred to affectionately by many ANBU as "That Hellhole" or by the Hunters as "The Rabbit Hole". For expediency's sake, we shall simply call it The Forge. The Forge is owned by the owners of the Locket, and has a basic lay out quite similar to the locket. The only difference is that the Forge has three stories, and more rooms and the first floor has small cubicles. It is here that the ANBU and Hunter Ninja tend to congregate. If the Locket is for relaxation, then the Forge is to forge greenhorn ANBU and Hunters into a honed and polished weapon, and to plan out movements in the next patrol or mission.

It is the tense and professional atmosphere of the Forge that attracted Zeiguwa the most, for in the Forge, all are comrades in arms and no more, and all understand the capabilities of the other, for the Forge is a meeting and gathering place for those who witness the harsher and more warlike side of a ninja's lifestyle on a daily basis. It was also a plus that the tension in the Forge always deterred any unwanted staring, and considering his civilian identity's precarious standing in the village, the lack of hostile stares was a godsend. But either way, if asked, Zeiguwa would state no preference, for the Forge was a meeting place for the masked elite, and the Locket was a place to unwind. Both places served a purpose, and for that, Zeiguwa would really rather not have to choose, for either way, he honestly didn't care. He didn't need to be a patron at the Locket to relax, and likewise, he didn't have to be a patron at the Forge to meet and plan with his peers. For Zeiguwa, the existence of the Locket and the Forge were the bases to forming habits, and habits got ninja killed. Why bother with the Locket and the Forge when there are as many other places and ways to relax and meet with peers to plan a mission as there were ways to kill a man? It was a cold hearted logic that served him well for many years, and made him feared by many other ninja, Konoha-nin or no.

Of course, lately, since the rumors of Zeiguwa and the Copy Ninja started going around, that fear seemed to be less. Zeiguwa was anything but dense, but the sudden turn around in behavior baffled him. One day everyone was frightened of him, and it took only a single step into a room to plunge it into a tense and frosty silence, and then the next day… His simple presence incited whispers and interested and curious stares. As for Kakashi; the Copy Ninja seemed to lap up the attention the way a cat lapped up milk, calmly and lazily, as if he were entitled to it. If Zeiguwa were not so familiar with Kakashi's ways, he'd have been much more than slightly amused, especially since Kakashi seemed to draw amusement from the situation and Zeiguwa's confusion.

Zeiguwa sighed as he looked over the various ninja at the tables. If nothing else, the simple fact that the Forge was a more business oriented place than the Locket made it that much more difficult to find the people that one wanted to meet with. Asking for help would only earn one odd looks after all…

But that was quickly rectified as he spotted the ANBU he was supposed to meet, and Zeiguwa silently released a breath and emptied his mind as he made his way toward the ANBU codenamed Sai…

* * *

Naruto leaned against the wall of the toll booth, his face turned into the village. He knew Kakashi would have to leave through the main gate for this mission, knew that once the cycloptic jounin left, Tsunade would summon Yamato, Sai, Sakura, and himself to her, and send them into Hidden Sound. He knew that something was wrong, that Danzo wouldn't hesitate to rig the mission so that it could kill whomever that the mission had been assigned to, even if the jounin performing the mission was among the best in the village. He wouldn't put it past Danzo to kill Kakashi and cripple the Oracle in the process. Naruto was worried because his Yochigan wasn't showing him the outcome of the mission, worried because it was a bad sign. He was worried because it was _Kakashi_ who was leaving the village for a mission that was arranged by Danzo, worried because he just loved the man so much that loosing him meant that he would need half a dozen Anchors to perform the tasks that Kakashi alone could perform.

Naruto wouldn't admit it to anyone but Hinata and maybe Ibiki and Jiraiya, but he just loved Kakashi so much that the mere thought of loosing him terrified him. He was terrified of getting too close, terrified of loosing him to another person, too scared that loosing Kakashi meant loosing everything he had to protect. Naruto didn't think he could survive without Kakashi, which is why despite never wanting to get too close, he was always there, silently watching, binding Kakashi to him without binding him to him, pushing the man away while simultaneously clinging to him with all ten of his fingers and toes. He couldn't lose him, didn't want to lose him, couldn't even _consider_ continuing on with out him…

"Don't worry so much, or you'll get wrinkles."

Naruto started like a frightened rabbit and looked up. His eyes widened to find Kakashi perched on the overhang of the toll booth that sheltered him from the afternoon sun. Kakashi's sole visible eye was worried. He'd never managed to startle the blonde Hunter before. He dropped from the overhang to land in a light crouch in front of the blonde, looking up toward him. Kakashi could see the worry and the shadows swirling in those clear blue depths.

"Are you alright?" he said quietly.

"I…" Naruto looked away. "I…"

Kakashi stood up and studied the boy.

"Something about this mission bothers you."

It wasn't a question.

Naruto closed his eyes and nodded.

"The Yochigan hasn't shown you anything?"

Naruto shook his head and opened his eyes. Kakashi sucked in a sharp breath as he saw the emotions swirling in those endless blue orbs.

"Naruto?"

"Please…" Naruto stared up at Kakashi, "Please be careful. This mission was arranged by Danzo, I wouldn't put it past him to have this team eradicated just to cripple the Oracle. Please be careful, Kakashi. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you… Of all my Anchors, you are most precious to me…" Naruto turned his head so he was looking at the ground. "So… Please be careful…"

"Naruto…" Kakashi couldn't help himself.

His hand reached out and lightly stroked a whisker-scarred cheek with the tip of a finger before lightly gripping the boy's chin and turning his head so the blonde was looking at him. He tugged his mask down and leaned down to capture the blonde's lips with his own.

Naruto's eyes widened and he gaped in surprise, then moaned as Kakashi's tongue slipped into his mouth and coaxed his tongue out to play. Kakashi tasted sweet, tasted of honey and green tea, and manju, and the jounin's tongue swept through his mouth lightly rubbing and touching here and there, and brushing over all the right spots, and Naruto felt his resolve melt away even as he reached up to wrap his arms around Kakashi's neck.

Kakashi's hands drifted around Naruto's waist, pulling the blonde closer, and noted absently how well they fit together, and fisted a hand in Naruto's hair, gently tugging at the blonde's head to the right angle for the most pleasure and best access. The blonde tasted sweet, and there was the taste of ramen and a faint hint of something bitter, but Kakashi hardly minded, because Naruto was there, he was holding the blonde in his arms, and he was making the most adorable noises in the back of his throat, and Kakashi's body was getting heated…

Then as quickly as the kiss started, it ended, and clear cerulean stared into dark onyx as the two ninja caught their breaths. Kakashi's lips curled slowly into a warm smile as his fingers untangled themselves from Naruto's golden locks and lightly traced the curve of his cheeks.

"Wait for me, and I'll come for you…" he said gently.

"I'll wait…" Naruto whispered, "For as long as I have to, I'll wait… Because I love you…"

Kakashi's smile widened. "I'm glad. Just wait for me, and I'll come home to you, because I love you too."

He leaned down, brushed his lips lightly over Naruto's once more, then pulled away, and pulled up his mask and stepped out into the sunshine. Naruto followed the jounin as far as the gate, and watched as Kakashi stepped out of the safety of Konoha and into the forest.

A single tear fell from cerulean eyes, unheeded…

* * *

TBC …

* * *

**Totally Random Babbling:** Behold! The KakaNaru has begun!

_SanadaSayuri_


	29. Chapter 28

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SS's Notes:** Behold the KakaNaru! –insert evil laugh here--

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Then as quickly as the kiss started, it ended, and clear cerulean stared into dark onyx as the two ninja caught their breaths. Kakashi's lips curled slowly into a warm smile as his fingers untangled themselves from Naruto's golden locks and lightly traced the curve of his cheeks._

"_Wait for me, and I'll come for you…" he said gently._

"_I'll wait…" Naruto whispered, "For as long as I have to, I'll wait… Because I love you…"_

_Kakashi's smile widened. "I'm glad. Just wait for me, and I'll come home to you, because I love you too."_

_He leaned down, brushed his lips lightly over Naruto's once more, then pulled away, and pulled up his mask and stepped out into the sunshine. Naruto followed the jounin as far as the gate, and watched as Kakashi stepped out of the safety of Konoha and into the forest._

_A single tear fell from cerulean eyes, unheeded…_

**Chapter 28: Wandering**

"Would it make you fell better if I followed him?"

Naruto closed his eyes and turned and walked away, opening his eyes to reveal a slowly turning Yochigan as he paused briefly beside Jiraiya.

"Do as you like."

"Have faith then, Naruto, and I'll make sure he comes home safe."

Naruto closed his eyes and walked away. He opened his eyes after a few steps to reveal the normal azure blue.

"Thank you, and be careful…"

* * *

In the shadows, a pair of dark eyes narrowed.

Sending the Toad Sannin to shadow the Copy Ninja…

It seemed that the Oracle was more aware of Danzo-sama's plans than they thought.

He would have to alert Danzo-sama…

He darted out of the shadows and pulled up short to find a pair of Yochigan eyes staring at him.

"_Kageyomi…"_

And with the whisper, the interloper knew no more...

* * *

Naruto stared impassively down at the disabled ninja.

"What to do?" he murmured. "Shall I kill you and hide the evidence, or shall I force you to defect and then hunt you down like the dog that you are? Or shall I bring you before the Hokage for endangering and plotting against a Konoha Ninja or do I bypass the Hokage entirely and simply bring to Ibiki? What to do?"

Naruto sighed, and cerulean lines of chakra spread from beneath his feet to form the emblem of the Oracle with him and the downed ninja in the center. The emblem glowed and with a quick surge of chakra, a barrier shot up. Once the kekkai was set, Naruto stepped away and walked right through the barrier. Several ANBU had arrived, having sensed the chakra surge.

"There is no need to worry," Naruto said calmly, "return to your posts."

"Are you sure, Takusen-sama?" an ANBU said cautiously.

Naruto's lips curved into a wry smile. "If you would rather stand here and watch that man sleep, then do as you will." And he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Naruto was surprised to find Hyuuga Hanabi in front of his gate when he arrived at his home.

"My greetings, Takusen-sama," Hanabi bowed, "I am Hyuuga Hanabi. I wish an audience with you."

Naruto kept his face carefully blank. "Enter then, and be welcome."

He led the way into the house, and held the door open for Hanabi, taking the chance to scan the street. He spotted Neji who tilted his head at him, and Naruto inclined his head slightly in recognition before entering the house and closing the door behind him.

* * *

Across the street, Neji leaned against a wall, blending into the shadows as he set himself to await Hanabi's departure from the Oracle's home…

* * *

Naruto stepped inside, and Hanabi started in surprise to find her sister calmly setting a tea tray on the table.

Hinata straightened and said, "I heard something interesting in the market today, Naruto-kun."

Naruto frowned. "Now is not the time."

"Yes, yes, because Hanabi wants an audience with the Oracle, but aren't you glad that _he_ took the initiative?"

"Things like that rarely end well where the Oracle is oncerned."

Hinata smiled serenely while Hanabi looked from the Oracle to her sister in confusion….

TBC …

**Totally Random Babbling:** Ok, really, really short chapter. But I do wonder what Hanabi is doing?

_SanadaSayuri_


	30. Chapter 29

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SS's Notes:** Ok, so I kill off Naruto and Kakashi in Parallel and Parallel Surreality, and now everyone thinks I'm gonna kill 'em off here? The reviews begging me not to kill them slow down after a while, and then once Kakashi takes the initiative, they start up again. What's _with_ you people? How many_ times_ do I have to _tell_ you, _no_, I'm not going to kill or cripple them here in Soundscape? Sure, I'll maim and torture them a bit, but I'm _not _going to _kill_ them… If they die, they die in each other's arms on the battlefield or in the comfort of their home as old men. Geez…

**Previously on Soundscape…**

"_Would it make you fell better if I followed him?"_

_Naruto closed his eyes and turned and walked away, opening his eyes to reveal a slowly turning Yochigan as he paused briefly beside Jiraiya._

"_Do as you like."_

"_Have faith then, Naruto, and I'll make sure he comes home safe."_

_---In the shadows, a pair of dark eyes narrowed._

_Sending the Toad Sannin to shadow the Copy Ninja…_

_It seemed that the Oracle was more aware of Danzo-sama's plans than they thought._

_He would have to alert Danzo-sama…_

_He darted out of the shadows and pulled up short to find a pair of Yochigan eyes staring at him._

"_Kageyomi…"_

_And with the whisper, the interloper knew no more..._

_Naruto stared impassively down at the disabled ninja._

"_What to do?" he murmured. "Shall I kill you and hide the evidence, or shall I force you to defect and then hunt you down like the dog that you are? Or shall I bring you before the Hokage for endangering and plotting against a Konoha Ninja or do I bypass the Hokage entirely and simply bring to Ibiki? What to do?"_

**Chapter 29: Let it be War!**

Naruto sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"A rebellion by the Hyuuga Clan? Why haven't you reported this to the Hokage?"

Hanabi looked away. "How can I trust the Godaime not to throw me into the dungeon the moment the words left my lips? I would trust the Sandaime, but his heart is weak. He's much too kind. Only the Oracle who has two Hyuugas among his most loyal and trusted servants can be trusted, especially considering how much Neji-san and Onee-sama care for me."

Naruto frowned. "And what would you have done if I had turned you away for this?"

"You wouldn't." Hanabi said confidently, "Everyone in Konoha knows that the Oracle will never judge a messenger because of the message they bore. You, especially, Naruto-sama, are known to be a forgiving person."

Naruto said nothing though his frown deepened. _'The Hyuuga are much more clever than they look, though my own outburst against Danzou on Kakashi's behalf was not much help either. I would understand if they went after Hinata, who as my Mouth, possesses most of my secrets, but to go through all this trouble for two Anchors…'_ he thought absently as he stared into his tea cup. _'They are moving much faster than I had anticipated…'

* * *

_

Hinata sat still, calmly sipping her tea, her eyes fixed on her Oracle as he mused over the news that her sister had brought him. She was proud that Hanabi was not blindly obeying the word of their father, but Hinata knew that Hanabi, for all her cold exterior, truly did have a gentle heart. The younger Hyuuga would not hesitate to Jyuuken someone into oblivion, but she would be quite unhappy about it in the privacy of her own room. Hinata remembered enough similar instances to know that her sister was actually a very sweet little girl, if not a little arrogant and proud.

* * *

Hanabi fought the urge to fidget as silence fell over the room after her confession. Her sister sat there, serene and still, a vast difference from several months ago when her stillness came from fear and weakness. The Oracle was staring into his teacup, his golden brows furrowed in thought, as though it held all the secrets of the world. But then again, Hanabi thought, maybe it did. The Oracles have always been known to have many powers. Who was she, a lowly Hyuuga in comparison to a member of the Clan from which the Byakugan was first born, to say whether or not a Kazama could descry a solution to a problem from the depths of a teacup?

* * *

Naruto sighed and reached out with his chakra, seeking Neji's outside, and synchronized his chakra with the Hyuuga prodigy's. Gathering chakra to his voice, Naruto said firmly, "Neji!" 

A blur of black and white leapt through the open window into the room. Neji stood behind the Oracle, his eyes bland.

"Naruto-sama?"

"Escort Hyuuga Hanabi-san and my Mouth to the Hokage."

Neji bowed. "Yes, I understand."

Naruto turned his eyes toward his Mouth and said, "Hinata, I leave the phrasing of the missive to you. I leave this in the hands of the Godaime. It is up to the Hyuuga in my Service if they wish to be involved with whatever the Hokage plans, for it is your clan."

Hinata set down her cup and rose to her feet and bowed. "As you wish, My Oracle."

"Go then."

The three Hyuugas bowed to him, and Naruto tilted his head in acknowledgement, and the three Hyuuga left the room. Naruto leaned back in the chair and turned to look out the window at the face of the Yodaime on the Hokage's Monument.

"Things are moving much more swiftly than anticipated," he murmured, "What would you do if you were here in my position, father?"

There was no answer, but Naruto hadn't really been expecting one.

* * *

Naruto wasn't quite sure what he was expecting as he prepared tea for three, but to find the Godaime and Sandaime Hokage at his door had not been it. 

"Salutations, Lord Oracle," Tsunade said, "I am Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konoha."

"Greetings, Lord Oracle, I am Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konoha," the Sandaime intoned the ritual greeting gravely, "We have come to seek an advisory."

Naruto couldn't help the incredulous arching of an eye brow. When he realized what he had done, he wiped the expression off his face and stepped to the side, holding the door open for Tsunade and Sarutobi.

"Enter and be welcome," he said, the ritual reply falling from his lips easily.

And Tsunade and Sarutobi entered the Oracle's most sacred abode.

"I take it then that Hanabi's confession troubles you?" Naruto said gently.

"It's more than a little troubling," Tsunade said quietly, "especially when you consider what your Mouth has also recounted to us about your suspicions about Danzou."

Naruto smiled. "War is imminent then. With Danzou's current plans, Konoha may have no choice but to go to war with Oto, which will drag Sand into the mix. Once the Leaf-Sand Alliance is drawn into things, the Akatsuki is sure to join, followed closely by the Cloud and the Stone who would be more than happy to aid in Konoha's downfall. If that happens, Konoha will be outnumbered on all sides."

"You seem strangely happy about the prospect," Sarutobi said.

"Oracle or no, I am a ninja. I live off the thrill of battle."

"Please don't imitate Soramaru's actions in the First Secret War," Tsunade whispered, "I was a child then, but I remember… She told Grandfather the exact same thing, then threw Konoha into a war it wasn't ready for."

"A war that Konoha won with guidance from the Oracle," Naruto's voice was filled with understanding. "My clan has never led this village astray. I will not do so now."

"I hope all goes well then," Sarutobi said, "because it seems as if war is inevitable."

"So it seems," Naruto agreed, "but take heart! The future has not been decided yet. All may yet be well. Konoha has been through rough times before, and every time, this village has emerged from fire and shadow as tempered steel ringing triumphant over our enemies."

Tsunade smiled weakly, "I cannot help but be encouraged when you speak like that."

"If war is inevitable, then let us strike the first blow," Naruto said gently, "in one week, Sakura and I, along with one of Danzou's ROOT ANBU, and an ANBU Captain of Tsunade's choosing will set out to Hidden Sound Village. There, we attempt to retrieve the Sharingan, and if Sasuke does not return to the Leaf of his own will, we will eliminate him, and if possible, Orochimaru. If we are forced to eliminate Sasuke, I will call the only other Uchiha available, and he will come, for he is a descendant of the Kazama, and he may not refuse the Oracle. He will breed us new Uchiha in the name of the Oracle, and we will strike against the Akatsuki by slaying Hoshigaki Kisame."

"Those who strike first are not necessarily those who emerge victorious," Sandaime said carefully.

"No," Naruto smiled sagely, "But while technically we are making the first move in this inevitable war, we are merely acting to eliminate a threat to our village. We cannot be faulted for that, so long as no treaties are violated."

* * *

TBC …

* * *

**Totally Random Babbling:** I found the story "Red Blossom" by Yamisui. It's a great story, and with some help from Beloved Shadow of Light and the suggestions of other readers, I've gotten around the block where Danzou's plans are concerned. Many thanks to all of you who have supported me through all of this, and credit to all the people whose ideas will help me with the chapters to come! 

_SanadaSayuri_


	31. Chapter 30

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SS's Notes:** Oops! I pissed off my muses by choosing to study for finals instead of writing down the ideas they gave me, so now they are sulking. I've offered candy, yaoi, alcohol, chocolate, and reviews, but they won't respond… hehehe –sweatdrops-- Sorry, but until my muses decide that they're done being emo, this might be my last post for a while...

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Naruto wasn't quite sure what he was expecting as he prepared tea for three, but to find the Godaime and Sandaime Hokage at his door had not been it._

"_Salutations, Lord Oracle," Tsunade said, "I am Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konoha."_

"_Greetings, Lord Oracle, I am Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konoha," the Sandaime intoned the ritual greeting gravely, "We have come to seek an advisory."_

_Naruto couldn't help the incredulous arching of an eye brow. When he realized what he had done, he wiped the expression off his face and stepped to the side, holding the door open for Tsunade and Sarutobi._

"_Enter and be welcome," he said, the ritual reply falling from his lips easily._

**Chapter 30: Resonance**

Night had fallen and the Anchors of the Oracle were gathered in Naruto's home, the Hidden Anchors tucked away in shadows. The Oracle entered the room, his Mouth trailing beside him as he paused and looked over his Anchors who moved to stand in two circles around him. All were present but for two, one who was most precious to him was on a mission, and the other, a Hidden Anchor was trailing the first to ensure that no harm came to him, and the others left open spaces for them. A slight smile crossed his face. These were the people most precious to him, the ones whom he trusted most, and who were entrusted with the integrity of his mental well being, his precious Anchors who bound his fragile mind and spirit to this reality and time.

"Many of you may have heard," he said softly, "that Konoha will soon be going to war."

The Anchors watched him as he made a quarter turn; the agitated shifting of their chakra the only sign of how they felt at his sudden announcement.

"I must confirm that these rumors are true. We may not be at war yet, but war is inevitable. I have already advised the Godaime to eliminate the threats to this village as quickly as possible that Konoha may have a better chance of survival."

The Anchors watched their Oracle silently as he made another quarter turn.

"You are all precious to me, but soon, we will be scattered as the process of rebuilding and ensuring Konoha's strength continues. All I can do is give you my blessings and entrust the future to you. There is much to be done before this storm hits Konoha, and the next time the Anchors gather, the situation may be much more dire than it is today, and perhaps the number will have grown. Have hope, all of you, and hold to your faith in your abilities and the abilities of your comrades. Always remember that though there are no coincidences in this world, and there is only the inevitable, the future has yet to be decided. Our future is in our hands. Hold strong, stand fast, sleep light, dream well, have faith, and all will be well in the end."

The Anchors shifted slightly, and their eyes never left their Oracle as he made another quarter turn.

Naruto closed his eyes and said sadly, "I place my faith in you, my dreams, my hopes, and most importantly, this power to change the future. All of you will play an important part in what is to come, and I wish you all the best."

The Anchors shifted slightly once more, but said nothing as Naruto opened his eyes and completed his last quarter turn.

Naruto flung out an arm. "Go forth my Anchors, and aid me in my endeavor to guard this village which we all hold so dear. Go forth! Go now!"

There was a rustle as the Anchors all bowed and vanished.

Naruto sighed and dropped his arm to his side as he tilted his head toward Hinata. "Have Neji and Hanabi watch your Clan like a hawk."

Hinata nodded, and Naruto swept out of the room.

* * *

There was something strange going on, Danzo thought as he paced the edge of the kekkai that had been erected around his ANBU. He had found twelve of these all over the village, all of them trapping his precious ROOT ANBU inside, including the one codenamed as Sai. The stylized lines of chakra made it very clear who had set the barrier, but there was nothing to link the barrier to an anchor, except maybe the Oracle's own chakra. None of them had moved from their positions, there was no sign that they were even alive. What was the Oracle doing? Why would he even think that it was necessary to trap his men? Did the Oracle know what he was planning?

No, Danzo shook his head. The boy wouldn't. Contrary to popular belief, the Oracle wasn't all knowing, and the Oracle was currently fixated on the problem with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki. There was no way the boy had any idea what Danzou and the Hyuuga Clan were planning… Was there?

Danzou paused in his pacing. If he had questions, then there was only one way to find out.

* * *

Naruto was reading a scroll about sealing techniques when an image of Danzou at the compound gate flashed through his mind. Naruto sighed, marked his spot, rolled up the scroll and stood up. Things were beginning to snowball it seemed. How long before everything came to a head and the snowball became an avalanche?

* * *

Danzou arrived at the gate of the Oracle's ancestral home to find the Oracle, clad in formal robes standing there, pale cerulean eyes turned toward him.

"I have been expecting you, Elder Danzou," the Oracle intoned softly.

Danzou shivered as the Oracle's eyes rested on him. Were those eyes as all seeing as they seemed? If so, then he and Hiashi were screwed.

"I know why you have come," the Oracle said calmly. "I will grant you an audience, but not here. A shadow follows you, Elder Danzou, and I cannot permit it to taint the sanctity of my abode, to which the suffering may come to find peace. Come."

Danzou frowned as the Oracle turned and walked away. Damn that boy! Danzou knew he had no other choice but to follow the Oracle if he wanted the answers to his questions. Of course, it didn't mean that Danzou had to like it.

TBC …

**Totally Random Babbling:** Many thanks to all of you who have supported me through all of this, and credit to all the people whose ideas will help me with the chapters to come! And I'm really sorry, but this will be my last post in a while. I will post again, but not anytime soon. Once again, I'm very, very sorry.

_SanadaSayuri_


	32. Chapter 31

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SS's Notes:** Happy New Year minna-san! To celebrate, here's a new chapter!

**Previously on Soundscape…**

"_Many of you may have heard," he said softly, "that Konoha will soon be going to war."_

_The Anchors watched him as he made a quarter turn; the agitated shifting of their chakra the only sign of how they felt at his sudden announcement._

"_I must confirm that these rumors are true. We may not be at war yet, but war is inevitable. I have already advised the Godaime to eliminate the threats to this village as quickly as possible that Konoha may have a better chance of survival."_

_The Anchors watched their Oracle silently as he made another quarter turn._

"_You are all precious to me, but soon, we will be scattered as the process of rebuilding and ensuring Konoha's strength continues. All I can do is give you my blessings and entrust the future to you. There is much to be done before this storm hits Konoha, and the next time the Anchors gather, the situation may be much more dire than it is today, and perhaps the number will have grown. Have hope, all of you, and hold to your faith in your abilities and the abilities of your comrades. Always remember that though there are no coincidences in this world, and there is only the inevitable, the future has yet to be decided. Our future is in our hands. Hold strong, stand fast, sleep light, dream well, have faith, and all will be well in the end."_

**Chapter 31: Denouement**

Danzou was furious. The Oracle had led him in circles around the village then had vanished. There was a flicker of chakra behind him, and Danzou spun around to catch a glimpse of black and grey.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he bellowed.

"You are dangerous," the Oracle's voice drifted through the air, distant and tinny, accompanied by the faint sound of ringing bells. "I can not allow your plans to harm this village… Therefore, until this situation is resolved… _Run!_"

On the last word, the Oracle's voice became the shaking of the earth and the roaring of fire as the blaze devoured all in its way, and was the rolling of thunder as it heralded the coming of a great and terrible storm.

"Run and cling to your pitiful life! Cling to it and know that you live pathetically in the midst of your foolish plots and mechanisms! Hate yourself! Despise yourself! Run like the Coward that you are! And when all draws to an end…"

The last line was spoken in a voice gentle as the sound of the peacefully flowing brook and the blowing of a wind.

"When all draws to an end, you will see the futility of challenging the Oracle and threatening Our charge…" The Oracle's voice faded into complete silence.

"How dare you!" Danzou bellowed as he raced after the flickering chakra and the brief glimpses of black and grey as they vanished down streets and into crowds, through doorways, and around corners.

Despite his bad leg, Danzou chased after the flickering chakra for what seemed like hours before he realized that something was wrong. The crowds that he pushed through, normally bustling and full of cheer and noise were unusually silent and still. Danzou froze in the middle of the crowd, turning round and round, staring at villagers and ninja alike, all frozen in various acts and positions. There was an ANBU patrol frozen in mid-leap across a gap in the rooftops, and a ninja who was in the act of sipping tea in that open air tea stand. A mother was frozen in the middle of the act of berating her child, the little boy's ear pinched in her fingers. Villagers were frozen mid-walk and customers and merchants were frozen mid-transaction. Even the birds were frozen mid-flight while a cat mid-pounce and a dog was frozen in the middle of relieving its bladder against a wall, the urine frozen in an arc through the air.

"Genjutsu?" Danzou muttered as he formed a one handed ram seal. "Kai!"

There was no effect.

"Kai!"

Nothing.

Several more attempts in different ways to dispel genjutsu gave the same result.

"What is this!!!" he roared.

There was no answer.

"Answer me!" Danzou bellowed. "Oracle!"

The silence was deafening.

Then, in the midst of the dead silence, a flicker of movement, and Danzou chased after the movement before he found himself once more back in the square where he had first noticed the stillness. Once more there was no movement, no sound, no _life._

Movement behind him.

Danzou turned in time to see black and grey vanish around a corner.

He gave chase.

Once more he found the chase ending in the square.

Movement.

Danzou turned and reeled backward in horror.

Horror for there was himself, horribly emaciated and torn and beaten, bloodied and smiling a terrible maniacal smile as blood poured from his side where an entire half of his torso was missing, a gash across his throat, and entrails poured from the open slash in his belly. Bloody fingers, the flesh peeling away to reveal the bone underneath reached for him. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't even scream to the Oracle for mercy as cold, boney, blood slicked fingers closed around his throat.

Danzou's last thought before darkness claimed him was that the Oracle _knew,_ and that he and Hiashi were indeed very, very screwed…

* * *

The villagers hardly seemed to notice Danzou, standing stock still in the square in the center of the Oracle's Emblem, his features frozen in horror and his mouth open in a scream of terror. Those who did notice quickly looked away, not in respect, but in disdain, the glowing lines of chakra spread on the ground in an elaborate yet simple array telling them all they needed to know. In the Hidden Village of the Leaf, those caught and frozen in the Oracle's Kekkai were those who would do harm to the village, and the horrors they experienced in the Oracle's Kekkai received no sympathy.

In the Hidden Village of the Leaf, the Hokage was loved and respected, but the Oracle ruled all.

* * *

Naruto, clad as a Hunter in the field, but for his mask, which was sealed away in a storage scroll, had discreetly freed the ROOT ANBU known as Sai mere minutes before the team was to assemble. Despite being the first to arrive at the Tower, he was the last to enter the Hokage's Office. He entered wordlessly, silently closing the door before moving to stand in front of the desk beside his temporary teammates to be briefed about the mission by the Godaime.

Tsunade studied the boy that she had come to care for after he had dragged her kicking and screaming to the very gates of Konoha with the simple message from the Oracle to return to Konoha. She knew that whatever affections she had for the child, despite his prodigy status among the Hunter Ninja of Konoha, or even his position of power as Konoha's Oracle, was returned. Naruto was a brother she could mother hen, and she was someone who would not hesitate to beat Naruto silly if he did something stupid, Oracle or no. They were brother and sister in all but blood, and they both knew it, which was why their few meetings as anything other than commander and subordinate were so cherished.

Tsunade took a fortifying swallow of sake, put the bottle and cup into a drawer, then began to speak…

* * *

Kakashi knew that he was being followed the moment he stopped for the night and the wind shifted. On one hand, he was touched that Naruto cared so much, and on the other, he was a bit hurt that Naruto had so little faith in his ability to stay alive despite tremendous odds. Nevertheless, Kakashi knew from past experience that Oracles never did anything without a reason, and so, he made no attempt to call out to the person following him…

* * *

Logically, Jiraiya knew that Kakashi could take care of himself. When he had offered to trail the Copy Ninja, it had been a joke. The Frog Summoner never believed for a moment that Naruto would take him up on the offer. Jiraiya knew his former student's student well enough to know that Kakashi would know that he was following him the moment they left the village. Despite this, Jiraiya made no attempt to make himself known to the Copy-Nin. The Oracle never did anything without reason, and there had to be a reason to have Jiraiya trail Kakashi, and he had a feeling that whatever the reason for sending him out, it had nothing to do with the confession that had taken place just before Kakashi left, and everything to do with the mission Naruto was about to leave on.

* * *

Hyuuga Hiashi did not need the rumors filtering through the village about the ROOT ANBU frozen in various tasks throughout the village to know that something was wrong. The mere fact that his two daughters and his nephew no longer lived in the Hyuuga Compound was more than enough for him to know that something was dreadfully wrong. The report from the Haruno Head about Danzou, frozen inside the Oracle's Emblem, his face twisted in a mask of horror was all that it took for Hiashi to recognize that the Oracle was onto them, and there was no more time to waste. Incomplete preparations or no, the Hyuuga and their allies would have to strike before the Oracle had anytime to give away the revolt to either the Godaime or the Sandaime.

They would have to strike hard and fast…

* * *

They were out of time, the ANBU and Oinin of Konoha knew as the Sandaime appeared in their headquarters. Already, the evacuation of Konoha had begun. Soon there would be a civil war on three fronts, one among the civilians inside the emergency shelters, one among the ninja in Konoha itself, and another among the ninja outside of Konoha's war.

There was no more time. Once the Oracle took one step out of the village, the civil war would begin. They would have to strike hard and fast to bring down their enemies…

* * *

_Deep within the shadows of Konoha, the preparations of war begin. The Oracle's departure from the village would be the signal to begin, and a conflict will rage both within and outside of Konoha's walls… In the end, with so many of the village's best outside the walls, the path to victory would be paved with the enemy dead and the blood of their patriots. One side will bring Konoha to a golden age of glory, while another side will bring the proud village to her knees. Everything lay in the hands of the village's leaders…

* * *

_

TBC …

* * *

**Totally Random Babbling:** Treize-muse, the smooth talker that he is, has talked Kakashi-muse back into business. And so, the result is this: an update!

_SanadaSayuri_


	33. Chapter 32

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!!! IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!!!**

**SS's Notes:** I should make clear that the civilians will be involved in the Civil War as well, fighting against each other because of the split which concerns none other than Naruto. That's one front. The second is among the ninja to decide how Konoha is run, who is in charge, to undermine the power of the Hokage and Oracle, and in the case of the Hyuuga, to gain more power. That is the second front. The third and last front will be fought by Konoha-nin against outside powers such as Sound and the Akatsuki.

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Danzou turned and reeled backward in horror._

_Horror for there was himself, horribly emaciated and torn and beaten, bloodied and smiling a terrible maniacal smile as blood poured from his side where an entire half of his torso was missing, a gash across his throat, and entrails poured from the open slash in his belly. Bloody fingers, the flesh peeling away to reveal the bone underneath reached for him. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't even scream to the Oracle for mercy as cold, boney, blood slicked fingers closed around his throat._

_Deep within the shadows of Konoha, the preparations of war begin. The Oracle's departure from the village would be the signal to begin, and a conflict will rage both within and outside of Konoha's walls… In the end, with so many of the village's best outside the walls, the path to victory would be paved with the enemy dead and the blood of their patriots. One side will bring Konoha to a golden age of glory, while another side will bring the proud village to her knees. Everything lay in the hands of the village's leaders…_

**Chapter 32: Movement Part 1**

Sakura dashed down the street, dodging ninja and civilian alike as she made her way to the Hokage's Tower. She, while preparing to leave for the retrieval/assassination mission (Tsunade had made it clear that if they could not convince Sasuke to return to Konoha, they were to execute him), had just discovered something terrible, something that would bring her clan, small and insignificant as it was (They only had five members), to its knees in disgrace. Much as she resented certain powers and people in the village, she knew the history of Konoha, and while she had no doubt that the Hokage already knew of what was brewing, she doubted that the Hokage knew of this little tidbit.

She couldn't help but wonder how _anyone_ could be so _ungrateful_ that they would want to assassinate the last member of the clan that had, generation after generation, given up practically _everything_ for the well being of Konoha?

Sakura had admitted to herself that she disliked Naruto because he was so much stronger but had still failed to bring Sasuke home. Her dislike of Naruto, she knew, was irrational, since Naruto and the records had proved time and time again that the Oracles were not Omniscient, and that in the times when their eyes could not pierce the mists of time, they too, made mistakes, but that didn't mean that she didn't trust him or respect him, and in the end, the blonde was her teammate and a constant fixture in her life, one that she could rely on to help her if she needed it. Sakura would be damned before she allowed her parents to harm Naruto, because they were teammates, and because no matter how much she irrationally disliked Uzumaki Naruto, by no means was she shallow or vindictive enough that she would take part in betraying her own country over a petty and irrational dislike of a certain person.

* * *

An ANBU patrol paused on a roof as a pink haired kunoichi leapt from the street onto a nearby rooftop and dashed past them, almost barreling into a bear masked ANBU who avoided the collision with five hasty steps back and to the right.

"That's one of Kakashi-sempai's students right?" a cat masked ANBU asked. "I thought she was leaving on a mission?"

A dog masked ANBU said quietly, "I wonder what's got her in such a hurry?"

* * *

Sakura skidded to a halt in front of Tsunade's office door, which was open. Inside, Tsunade, Sarutobi, and Naruto looked up from the scroll that the three were discussing.

"Sakura?" Naruto's voice was faintly worried. "Is something wrong?"

"Naruto!" Sakura all but barreled into the blonde's chest, her arms wrapping around his neck as she buried her face into his shoulder. "It's horrible! My parents! They… They want me to… They want me to kill you!"

Sakura felt Naruto stiffen, and silence fell over the office.

Tsunade sighed, and said firmly, "Sakura, let go of Naruto, sit down, and tell us _everything_."

And the pink haired kunoichi did as she was told.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Sakura had been bustled out of the office by Naruto and given a note to give to Yamato, letting him know that the departure time for the mission would be delayed by an hour.

As she made her way to the gate that the temporary replacement teammates were waiting, she wondered what Naruto and the two Hokage would have planned…

* * *

An hour and a half after the pink haired kunoichi's outburst in the office, Team 7 and it's two replacement members were on their way out of the village.

Tsunade rubbed at her temples and sighed.

"I hope Naruto will be alright out there."

"He'll be fine," Sarutobi lit his pipe. "Naruto is a good boy and an even better ninja. No matter what happens, I'm sure he'll find a way to get out of any trouble that he may meet. He always has."

Tsunade turned her eyes toward the Hokage Mountain pensively.

"I should hope so…"

* * *

Naruto had never been more surprised than when he found the pink haired kunoichi attached to his neck as she blurted out her family's intention to have her kill him. For a brief moment, he wondered if this was just a ploy to get her into his good graces so a way could be opened into his residence from the inside. It was only for the briefest moments that he entertained the thought before he remembered that once during that brief time when he had been the replacement jounin supervisor for the Rookie 10 and the Team Gai, the girl had admitted to him that she truly disliked him for hiding his true skills from them, and failing to retrieve Sasuke despite being so much stronger. It had been this admission that had brought the two closer as comrades in arms, because Sakura had also acknowledged that her dislike of him was irrational, and despite it, she truly did respect him as both person and ninja.

That confession had been, in essence, an unofficial trust building exercise between the two, though it brought to Naruto a new wave of suspicion where Sakura was concerned. For the time being, he was content to ignore the potential danger that the confession in the Godaime's office was anything but a ploy to get him to lower his guard around her. He would trust her to watch his back during this mission, but that didn't mean that he was going to expose his back to her anytime soon. He was young, not stupid.

* * *

The trip into Sound Country was silent but for the occasional snippet of polite conversation. A veil had fallen in Naruto's mind, separating the Hunter from Naruto, just as a veil had often separated the Oracle from Naruto, and occasionally, the Hunter from the Oracle and vice-versa. As the golden haired Hunter tied a bandanna onto his head to cover his distinctive hair, he wondered absently how long he could survive as a ninja before his personalities as Naruto, Zeiguwa, and the Oracle began to clash. In all histories about the Oracles, at some point, the Oracle's power would begin to interfere with the ability of the Kazama in question to remain an active ninja. At some point, he would have to either take his own life to escape his insanity and to avoid being lost in the mists of time and leave behind those who loved him to grieve for him, or retire as an active ninja and become that silly pompous little Oracles who sit around nibbling dainties and speak in riddles to the people who seek them out for advice.

Being the type of person he was, Naruto definitely did not want the former, and the Hunter in him severely disliked the idea of the latter, and the Oracle in him heavily protested both choices, as it was in the Oracle's nature to wish to change the future, and goodness only knew that there would be a great many trials in the future that would sway either toward absolute destruction or prosperity.

He glanced at Sakura and sighed in irritation as he noted how the kunoichi struggled to keep up with the two ANBU members and the Hunter.

'_She still can't keep up? Hasn't she trained at all in the past year?'_ he wondered idly.

He fell back to match her pace and said gently, "Are you doing alright, Sakura?"

"Un," Sakura nodded, "I'm fine."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Right," he drawled. "In either case, if you can't keep up, let us know. ANBU and Oinin don't make a habit of working comrades to death. Well, not unless they are our trainees at least."

"Naruto," Sakura said drily, "I think you've been a Hunter too long. All that killing has made you wonky."

Naruto smiled. "As a rule, all ninja are eccentric."

"Crazy you mean," Sakura snapped.

"That too!"

"Gah! I can't believe you actually admit to it!"

In the front, Yamato gave a secret smile. The Oracle was helping the girl keep up by distracting her, and by frustrating her, he was giving her the extra burst of adrenaline that she would need to keep up. He turned his attention back to the front. It wouldn't be long before the girl would burn out. They would need to find a place to set up camp before then.

TBC …

**Totally Random Babbling:** Sorry about the long wait in between updates. Ever since Winter Intercession started, I've been spending nearly eleven hours at school, and despite the intersession only being half over (Three more weeks! TTxTT), I still hardly have time to do anything. Well, either way, here's an update, to tide the lot of you over. XD I hope you enjoyed this! Now clicky the button below and review!

_SanadaSayuri_


	34. Chapter 33

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!!**

**SS's Notes:** I should make clear that the civilians will be involved in the Civil War as well, fighting against each other because of the split which concerns none other than Naruto. That's one front. The second is among the ninja to decide how Konoha is run, who is in charge, to undermine the power of the Hokage and Oracle, and in the case of the Hyuuga, to gain more power. That is the second front. The third and last front will be fought by Konoha-nin against outside powers such as Sound and the Akatsuki.

**SS's Notes 2:** And….. **SHE LIVES!! **Sorry for the long wait, but real life can really get distracting, you know?

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_The trip into Sound Country was silent but for the occasional snippet of polite conversation. A veil had fallen in Naruto's mind, separating the Hunter from Naruto, just as a veil had often separated the Oracle from Naruto, and occasionally, the Hunter from the Oracle and vice-versa. As the golden haired Hunter tied a bandanna onto his head to cover his distinctive hair, he wondered absently how long he could survive as a ninja before his personalities as Naruto, Zeiguwa, and the Oracle began to clash. In all histories about the Oracles, at some point, the Oracle's power would begin to interfere with the ability of the Kazama in question to remain an active ninja. At some point, he would have to either take his own life to escape his insanity and to avoid being lost in the mists of time and leave behind those who loved him to grieve for him, or retire as an active ninja and become that silly pompous little Oracles who sit around nibbling dainties and speak in riddles to the people who seek them out for advice._

**Chapter 33: Movement Part 2**

Entering Sound Country was simple enough, though dodging the patrols was the main difficulty for the team. Naruto's face usually expressive face had smoothed into an unreadable expression of impassivity, the tensing of the skin at the corners of his eyes and the clenching of his jaws were the only signs of his unease.

Yamato, knowing that the blonde had his communicator on at all times, wondered vaguely how the boy could be receiving any reports when the entire group was quite obviously out of radio range with Konoha. Of course, it wouldn't surprise the ANBU Captain if the Hunter was constantly in radio range with _someone_ who was in radio range of someone else back in Konoha, creating an elaborate relay system for the Hunters so they need not rely on messenger beasts which were often slow and rarely, though occasionally unreliable where carrying messages were concerned.

* * *

A Sound-nin stepped with quiet caution into the chamber, his eyes fixed on the figure seated in the shadowed throne in the back of the room. "Orochimaru-sama."

"What is it?" the anger and impatience Orochimaru's voice made the nin flinch. The Snake Sannin was not normally the most pleasant of masters to serve on a normal day, but ever since his failed invasion of Konoha and the inglorious retreat that followed, Orochimaru had become more prone to use his own people as outlets for his anger at every little displeasure.

"The border patrol has spotted a team of Konoha-nin crossing into Oto," the nin reported, praying silently that the Snake Sannin would not notice the shaking of his voice, "And the Oracle is among them."

"The Oracle?" Orochimaru's lips curled up in a predatory smile. "Good. I will have my chance to tear those pretty eyes of his out of his skull…"

The Oto-nin shivered as Orochimaru's harsh, anticipatory laughter cut through the air.

* * *

The retrieval/assassination team from Konoha stopped to make camp, and as they settled for the night, Naruto made his way into the trees. He settled himself securely on a branch and leaned back against the trunk after making sure that he was within sight and calling distance from the camp, and closed his eyes. Carefully, he allowed himself to sink into the darkness, and sent out his chakra in thin, questing tendrils to dance lightly over the bonds that tied him to his Anchors and Mouths as well as to those he marked as potential servants, including one Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

Hyuuga Hiashi watched as Hinata and Neji moved about the courtyard of the Oracle's domicile, cleaning and generally keeping the House in order. The Hyuuga Clan Head fumed as he watched Hanabi enter the house with a vase of flowers. The damnable **boy** (he refused to admit that the Kyuubi Vessel as anything but a child, Oracle or no) had taken not only his Eldest from him, but his nephew and Youngest. While he admitted that it was well within the Oracle's right to take an entire family as servants if they so wished, Hiashi refused to admit that the Oracle was doing anything more or less than giving the Hyuuga their due by taking in those unwanted children born out of obligation to leave behind an heir. The Oracle's constant rebuttal that he honored, not the Hyuuga Clan as a Whole, but the three he chose and those he chose alone, anger Hiashi. Was it not his flesh and blood that the Oracle now had under his wing? Were it not for the Hyuuga Clan as a whole, those three children would not be the Oracle's. No, Hiashi would make the Oracle acknowledge that without the Hyuuga Clan, he would not have the Anchors or the Mouth that he had now. Once that was done, he would have the oracle marry into the Hyuuga House, and have the Byakugan become truly All-Seeing, and then, the Hyuuga would be unstoppable.

He spun around and stalked away. The Oracle was well into Sound Country by now, so if there was any time to act, now was the best time. Oracle or no, the boy was a Hunter under the command of the Hokage, and unless Tsunade or Sarutobi recalled him (which Hiashi had no intention of giving either of the two the time to do), the boy's hands were tied, and his mission would be the first priority. To do otherwise would be a breach of his oath as a ninja, and Hiashi knew how much the Kazama Clan valued their duties as ninja…

Dark eyes under a bowl cut watched him as he left.

TBC …

**Totally Random Babbling:** Ok, another short chapter… Sorry I can't give you more, but life has been hectic, and I have this major speech coming up... and I need to get all my materials done and in place by Tuesday, and there's just so much to be done!! In either case, I will do my best to get out new chapters as often as I possibly can. No promises though. Real life comes first after all…

_SanadaSayuri_


	35. Chapter 34

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!!**

**SS's Notes:** I should make clear that the civilians will be involved in the Civil War as well, fighting against each other because of the split which concerns none other than Naruto. That's one front. The second is among the ninja to decide how Konoha is run, who is in charge, to undermine the power of the Hokage and Oracle, and in the case of the Hyuuga, to gain more power. That is the second front. The third and last front will be fought by Konoha-nin against outside powers such as Sound and the Akatsuki.

**SS's Notes 2:** I'm sorry about the long wait, but if you've read the notes in previous chapters, you would be aware that inspiration dried up for a while. Also, if you've read the notes in Limitations and Breaking Points, you are also aware that my house was recently in a fire, and so not only am I under a lot of stress, but school recently started up again. I cannot promise any new chapters just yet, but I can do my best to get new chapters out, but it all depends on how much work I get done.

**Previously on Soundscape…**

"_The border patrol has spotted a team of Konoha-nin crossing into Oto," the nin reported, praying silently that the Snake Sannin would not notice the shaking of his voice, "And the Oracle is among them."_

"_The Oracle?" Orochimaru's lips curled up in a predatory smile. "Good. I will have my chance to tear those pretty eyes of his out of his skull…"_

_The Oto-nin shivered as Orochimaru's harsh, anticipatory laughter cut through the air._

_--_

_He spun around and stalked away. The Oracle was well into Sound Country by now, so if there was any time to act, now was the best time. Oracle or no, the boy was a Hunter under the command of the Hokage, and unless Tsunade or Sarutobi recalled him (which Hiashi had no intention of giving either of the two the time to do), the boy's hands were tied, and his mission would be the first priority. To do otherwise would be a breach of his oath as a ninja, and Hiashi knew how much the Kazama Clan valued their duties as ninja…_

**Chapter 34: Movement Part 4**

The figure slipped silently from shadow to shadow. No matter what, he could not afford to fail. His Liege Lord and Master was counting on him. He paused as a familiar chakra, tainted, but still recognizable, slid over his senses.

Huh.

It seemed he was closer to his goal than he thought.

The figure moved again, more purposefully, toward the source of the chakra in question.

* * *

"Oh…. Sasuke-kun…." The door opened slowly and silently as Orochimaru slipped into the room. The Sannin froze as golden snake eyes took in the empty room, the scattering of shuriken and kunai, an untouched meal and the twisted covers on the bed. A note was scrawled over the walls.

"_The Oracle has retaken that which is his. The Mirror Eyes that were descended from the All-Seeing Prediction Eyes now return to the keeping of the Kazama, and you, thief, beware. The Oracle's wrath will be great and terrible as it falls upon you."_

And below the message was a rough rendition of the Uchiha Fan to the right of the Oracle's Emblem.

"So," Orochimaru hissed, "Itachi now serves the Oracle. Damn that boy! Damn you, Kazama!!"

* * *

Tsunade and the Sandaime sat side by side in the Office, cleared of paperwork and the heavy slate topped desk, surrounded by loyal ANBU and Hunters. The door swung open and a pair of kunai seemed to sprout in the chests of the two Hyuuga who burst in.

Hiashi strode in, his chest puffed with his pomposity. "Tsunade, Sarutobi," he said, emphasizing his belief in their lack of right to their Hokage title, "As of this moment, we of the Hyuuga will be taking over the leading of this village."

Tsunade smiled. "By all means, try."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed as the twelve ANBU and Hunters and the two Hokage vanished in puffs of smoke. His eyes did not miss the emblem of the Oracle that was draped over the chairs, the kanji for fire underneath the symbol.

"The Oracle is not inside the village at the moment!" The Hyuuga head barked, "You cannot hide behind him, and he will die the moment he sets foot inside this village!"

Outside, a patch of wall under the window rippled, bulged, and an ANBU leapt across the roof tops…

* * *

Jiraiya waited until Kakashi completed his mission before revealing himself to the jounin, taking care to make it seem as if they were meeting by complete accident, even though both men knew it was the opposite. Kakashi said nothing. Oracles rarely asked for anything, and the few times they requested something, people would bend over backwards to ensure that they got it. In essence, if Naruto really wanted something badly enough to get worked up about it, he would get whatever it was, no questions asked. It was merely how things worked in Konoha.

* * *

Itachi was not surprised when he arrived at the checkpoint arranged by the Oracle to find six high level Hunter-ninja, two of whom were counted among the Primary Six. He allowed the Hunters to secure his brother as they prepared for the later meeting with the retrieval team that was on their way. Itachi made no complaint as they tied his hands and fingers, ensuring that he could not make hand seals and snapped a metal collar engraved with seals around his neck to suppress his chakra before leading him away.

* * *

Sarutobi rubbed his temples as Tsunade glared at a stack of files on her desk. A group of ANBU had just reported in that the Oinin's number 4, 9, 13 and 16 were on their way back to Konoha with Uchiha Sasuke and a surprisingly cooperative Uchiha Itachi, who wore around his neck, the crest of the Oracle's Anchor.

Word had somehow gotten out, and the civilians were now rioting in the streets. The village had been divided into four factions, one who wanted Naruto dead because of the harebrained idea that the Oracle had given the orders for the Uchiha Massacre, one that supported Naruto simply because he was the Oracle, one that supported Naruto as someone they knew and respected (a good number of the Hokage's supporters were among these), and another that claimed that a demon was a demon and that Naruto should die before he completely destroyed the Oracle's good name. The first and last had banded together, and were the group that supported the ROOT and the Hyuuga's attempt at a coup, while the remaining groups were the ones that supported the Hokage and was slowing down the opposition.

The former Kage and his Successor could only hope that Naruto completed his mission quickly and returned to the village.

It would be, after all, only a matter of time before other villages found out about the Hidden Leaf's Civil War and decided to attack while their attention was turned inward.

* * *

Naruto closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to a report from a lesser Hunter. If there was anything he found more tedious in the world, it was being in the position of command, and the responsibility that came with it. As he spent more and more time dealing with the responsibilities of both a prodigy in the arts of ninjutsu and as the Oracle, the blonde found it more and more difficult to remember exactly what it was that he had found so appealing in the position of Hokage during his childhood.

Itachi causing a big ruckus when brought back to Konoha, he had anticipated. A riot in the streets was no surprise. Danzo and the Hyuuga Clan's coup splitting the village into multiple factions warring against each other had been long in the coming. Suna finding out about the Civil War and sending aid in the form of supplies and weapons was no surprise, and neither was Kumo's plans to use the chaos to kidnap a Hyuuga in another attempt to gain the Byakugan. Iwa was waiting for a chance to sweep down and crush the Leaf while Kiri could hardly care less. Individually, the situations were no problem, all together, however, the situation was one that would turn sour very quickly.

Naruto knew that at least one enemy would have to be taken down before Konoha became spread too thin. He pushed chakra to his eyes. He had one more Uchiha to contact, and if his hunch was correct, then the Oracle would have another Uchiha to serve him, and maybe, just maybe, the corruption in Konoha would be eradicated without the extreme measures that Naruto's target had intended.

He reached out along the thin threads that bound the Sharingan to the Yochigan, seeking the frayed and aged thread that bound Uchiha Madara to the Oracle…

* * *

Many years ago, he had sworn fealty to the Oracle Soramaru, and he had been the only Uchiha who heeded her warnings about alliance with Konoha, though she herself had made her home within the village. He heeded her, and spread her warning, and acted upon it, and it resulted in a terrible battle against his friend and rival, and for that, he was exiled. Soramaru, much aggrieved by this unjust act, had laid upon him the duty of seeing Konoha cleansed of corruption, and to protect the Impossible Yochigan once it was born. He had done his best, and time and time again, he had failed. Madara had known the instant Soramaru's successors had awoken. He had known better than to show himself to them, for the new Oracles would not welcome him, too accepting of Konoha's rhetoric to see even the truth despite their Yochigan. Madara had known the instant a different Oracle, the bearer of the Impossible Yochigan, had awoken and knew that this was one Oracle who was not easily deceived by the legends made and left behind by the victors. He had known the moment Uchiha Itachi had come in contact with the Oracle and had sworn fealty to him, though the boy had never said anything about it. Madara had known the moment the Oracle's eyes fell on the Akatsuki and dismissed it before sweeping back to turn inward into Konoha that the plans he had laid for many years would not be needed. He knew that if the Oracle called, he would answer.

His eyes twinged and the world turned opaque for a moment before returning to normal, the image of the walled village of the Sound in his mind.

Madara had been waiting for this moment ever since this Oracle awoke.

He rose and left the Akatsuki Headquarters, stripping off the cloak and tossing it negligently aside as he made his way through the Village of Rain, turning his eyes away from Nagato, now called Pein, in favor of his true leader.

Madara was an Uchiha first and foremost. And when the Oracle called for his kinsman and Guardians the Uchiha, they answered. The Oracle had summoned him, Madara would answer, and then, like Itachi had, he would swear his fealty to the Impossible Yochigan as he had sworn fealty to Soramaru so many years before.

The hated and exiled Uchiha felt his heart lift for the first time in years since his long exile. It was about time. He was getting tired of the failures and the isolation.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes and sighed as he looked at the walls of Hidden Sound Village. He was uneasy, the Yochigan was becoming more and more unstable lately, and he had to concentrate more to use it. He had barely been able to press a location into Madara's mind before the Yochigan had begun fighting him.

"Naruto?"

The blonde teen looked up into concerned green eyes.

"What is it, Sakura-san?"

The pinkette fidgeted, still uncomfortable with the Oracle, and said, "Yamato-Taicho said to tell you that we're preparing to go in now."

Naruto nodded and rose to his feet. Madara would have to trace them by the residual chakra trails. There was no more time left for waiting. He dropped a choker emblazoned with the Emblem onto the ground lengthwise to denote that he was inside the village, and followed his temporary teammates into the snake's den.

* * *

Itachi sat silently in the holding cell in the Oinin Headquarters, his eyes closed in meditation. Clad in a plain white yukata, the only piece from his original clothing he was allowed was the Oracle's Emblem, which hung around his neck. He was an Uchiha, one who had sworn his service and loyalty to the Oracle, and so the Oinin saw no reason to do more than seal away his chakra by means of the seal-inscribed collar, and the gate to the cell was unlocked. He was here at the Oracle's wishes. He would not knowingly depart unless the Oracle willed it. Perhaps the only reason why he had not been executed yet was because the Oracle had interceded on his behalf. At the moment, it was better not to think about it. So Itachi meditated. And he waited.

It was only a matter of time. The Oracle would call Madara, and then the Oracle would call for Itachi, and both would answer. Itachi sat, he meditated, and he waited for the summons from the only person to whom he would willingly entrust his entire being.

* * *

Kakashi and Jiraiya returned to Konoha and found mayhem. Almost immediately after their return to the village, the Jounin and Sannin were swept away into an endless frenzy of battles and skirmishes and crowd control and missions. Kakashi had little time to spare to think of his one time student, and Jiraiya could only pray as he rushed from one crisis to the next that the Oracle would stay safe, and that his All-Seeing-Eyes would discern a safe path out of this chaos.

* * *

The reconfigured Team 7 stumbled out of the Hidden Sound Village as quickly as they could, all the worse for wear. Sakura and Sai were supporting each other, and Yamato carried an unconscious Naruto. None of them had appreciated how much work Naruto had done for them until they realized that the Yochigan was fighting the blonde and with his concentration on two different tasks, fighting Orochimaru and staying alive while controlling the Yochigan.

TBC …

**Totally Random Babbling:** Ok, another short chapter… Sorry I can't give you more, but life has been hectic, and my muses seem adamant that I work on BLEACH fics instead of Naruto fics. In either case, I will do my best to get out new chapters as often as I possibly can. No promises though. Real life comes first after all…

_SanadaSayuri_


	36. Chapter 35

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

**SS's Notes 2:** sorry about the long wait. My life has been ridiculous, what with classes and evil teachers, my house burning down, y family being fucking indecisive so we move back and forth and in and out of a house/apartment, more classes, dealing with a stalker old nough to be my father and life in general, life has been totally hectic! But I have a new chapter for you all, and I would like to say, thanks for being so patient with me! Hgs and cookies for everyone and hands out kakashi plushies.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Madara was an Uchiha first and foremost. And when the Oracle called for his kinsman and Guardians the Uchiha, they answered. The Oracle had summoned him, Madara would answer, and then, like Itachi had, he would swear his fealty to the Impossible Yochigan as he had sworn fealty to Soramaru so many years before._

_---_

_It was only a matter of time. The Oracle would call Madara, and then the Oracle would call for Itachi, and both would answer. Itachi sat, he meditated, and he waited for the summons from the only person to whom he would willingly entrust his entire being._

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~****Chapter 35: On the Precipice****~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Madara grunted as he pulled himself out of the rubble that had once been Hidden Sound Village. It was incredible how quickly the young Oracle could get himself into trouble, the Uchiha thought wryly as his bond with the Oracle fluctuated between active and dormant; a sure sign that the Oracle's control was failing, and that his time was drawing to a close. Despite that, Madara smirked as he held up a severed head by its raven locks. Despite his nearing end, Madara knew that his Lord would be pleased to receive this gift.

After all, how often is it that one receives the head of the very person one most desires dead from one's vassal?

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Itachi stood up as the pendant around his neck warmed. He walked calmly out of the cell, and the oinin on duty, noting the play of colors over the pendant's surface, reached out, snapped off the collar and handed over a box containing the Uchiha's things. The elder Uchiha calmly stripped in front of the oinin and pulled on his clothes and stashed away his weapons and left after signing the form the hunter handed him. He set a black porcelain mask with the Oracle's emblem carved on the forehead on his face, and left.

The Oinin watched as the Uchiha's form faded into the dusk, and left to report to the Hokage. The Oracle had summoned his servant and the Uchiha had gone to serve his master. There was no doubt that both would return and by all means, there would be one less threat to be dealt with when the Oracle finally returned to Konoha.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The darkness was thick around him, and the water seemed to have risen in the time that he was gone. While the mindscape had changed with time and care, the modest house on a grassy hill was all but swallowed by the dark water.

_There is no longer time. If your mind is not stabilized and soon, you truly will descend into insanity._

He knew it well enough. The difficulty he had moving in his own mindscape was enough of an indicator for him, not to mention the flickering of different scenes of different futures fluttering about in the air unasked for. He was tired, incredibly so…

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It was a terrified and war torn Konoha to which the Oracle returned, and the assembled Team 7 were intercepted by Uchiha Itachi who guided them not into the village proper, but around it and into the shelters in the Hokage Monument, where they moved ever upwards in the mountain until they came out in a vast cavern carved out of living rock, magnificent limestone pillars holding the ceiling aloft and carefully carved and disguised windows let in light and air while keeping out the elements. On the ground, inlaid directly into the living rock were minerals of different compositions, sliced with thinner than a sheet of paper then cut and polished and set with only the most delicate of care to form the sweeping lines and delicate curves of the Oracle's emblem.

Footsteps echoed through the chamber and Itachi threw open several shutters and light poured into the chamber, illuminating white cloth draped over furniture in various parts of the room, and the elder Uchiha didn't hesitate as he hastily stripped a bolt of cloth off what is revealed to be a plush daybed. The footsteps come closer, and the Godaime and Sandaime storm into the chamber even as Itachi took Naruto from Yamato's arms and laid him gently on the daybed in question.

Sakura could only stare at her teammate, aware of only one thing. In the seven days and nights that the team had been traveling, not once had the Oracle opened his eyes.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

He knew better than anyone what was causing the rapid deterioration. He was holding far too many seals active. If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to heal, he would need to let some of the seals go. But which ones? As he watched as the water crept higher, he came to the conclusion: Most, if not all the seals had to be released. He could potentially stabilize his mind and powers if he released several seals and allowed his powers to rest. He didn't even have to release all of them. In fact, if he released all but two or three, he could likely slow the deterioration and turn the rest of his energy toward fixing the damage that the overuse of his powers had caused.

With that in mind, he allowed himself to slip beneath the surface of the dark waters, and drifted. As he moved slowly through his mindscape, carried by the water's current and the Kyuubi's own force of will, he began dismantling the containment seals he'd cast all around the village…

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Tsunade received the reports of the ROOT ANBU being released in concern. The Oracle had sealed them to prevent them from causing damage, so why was he releasing them? She received her answer when a tired, but marginally more refreshed looking Oracle staggered into her office in the shelters.

"Nice to see you're awake," she said softly.

Naruto smiled tiredly and said, "Holding as many seals as I had was speeding up the deterioration of my mind. Releasing some of them has lessened the strain somewhat, but I will need more Anchors if I intend to stay sane long enough to see Konoha to the end of this ordeal."

"How many more do you need?"

"I can't be sure," Naruto sighed as he took a seat across from the Hokage. "The number varies from one Oracle to the next. All I can be sure is that the minimum of Anchors I require has barely been met."

"Then we must endeavor to find you all of your Anchors then." Tsunade smiled, "And within the quickest possible time. The longer you live, the better. Your well being is important, not just for your eyes, though goodness only knows how valuable they are, but because there are people here in Konoha who would miss you if you were to die. Now shoo. Get some more sleep, Naruto."

The blonde smiled and stood up and left the office.

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

TBC …

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

**Totally Random Babbling:** Ok, another short chapter… Sorry I can't give you more, but life has been hectic, and my muses seem adamant that I work on BLEACH fics instead of Naruto fics. In either case, I will do my best to get out new chapters as often as I possibly can. No promises though. Real life comes first after all…

_SanadaSayuri_


	37. Chapter 36

**Original Summary:** He was a Jinchuuriki who was murdered by his best friend. But Fate has other plans, and Naruto wakes up in his five year old body. KakaNaru Yaoi

**New Summary:** After his death in the Valley of the End, Naruto wakes up in his five year old body and the ideals and responsibilities of his father's clan fall upon his shoulders as he becomes the bearer of the impossible Yochigan. As his mind threatens to break under the strain of the legacy of the Kazama clan, his only hope in salvation lies in the hands of the one person he pushes away due to his overwhelming love for them. Can Kakashi get close in time to preserve Naruto's deteriorating sanity? KakaNaru Yaoi

**SS's Notes:** Sorry about the long hiatus. I have no excuse beyond the fact that I'd lost interest in the Naruto fandom. I'm more interested in reading other people's works than actually writing it lately, but I really do hate leaving things unfinished, so here's a new chapter. Sorry for the long wait, and thank you all for your patience.

**Previously on Soundscape…**

_Tsunade received the reports of the ROOT ANBU being released in concern. The Oracle had sealed them to prevent them from causing damage, so why was he releasing them? She received her answer when a tired, but marginally more refreshed looking Oracle staggered into her office in the shelters._

"_Nice to see you're awake," she said softly._

_Naruto smiled tiredly and said, "Holding as many seals as I had was speeding up the deterioration of my mind. Releasing some of them has lessened the strain somewhat, but I will need more Anchors if I intend to stay sane long enough to see Konoha to the end of this ordeal."_

"_How many more do you need?"_

"_I can't be sure," Naruto sighed as he took a seat across from the Hokage. "The number varies from one Oracle to the next. All I can be sure is that the minimum of Anchors I require has barely been met."_

"_Then we must endeavor to find you all of your Anchors then." Tsunade smiled, "And within the quickest possible time. The longer you live, the better. Your well being is important, not just for your eyes, though goodness only knows how valuable they are, but because there are people here in Konoha who would miss you if you were to die. Now shoo. Get some more sleep, Naruto."_

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~****Chapter 36: ****~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

Naruto sighed as his consciousness swooped low over the village, watching as civilians cringed as shinobi with cold hard eyes passed them on the streets, and flinched when masked ANBU flitted over the rooftops. If this was how they reacted to the ninja loyal to the Hokage, how must they act around the Hyuuga? He did not think he wanted to know. The release of all the seals but the ones that held Danzo had significantly lifted the burden on his mind, and Kyuubi was busy restoring every thing he could reach. It didn't mean that he didn't need more anchors though, which was why he was in Konoha. He needed to speak with Hinata and Neji about officially inducting Hanabi, Udon, and Moegi as Anchors, and then if he could find them in this mess, Ibiki, Jiraiya and Kakashi. He needed trustworthy ANBU or jounin level ninja to safeguard his Anchors if they were to remain in Konoha proper. There was also a matter about a pair of tokubetsu jounin and their potential to be anchors that he wanted to discuss with them.

"I'm tired of playing games," Naruto said gently as he drummed is fingers on the arm of the chair. "Forgive me, Hinata, Neji, but I am sending you back into the Hyuuga Complex. Execute the Council as well as the Head. Work your way upward."

"And Danzo?" Hinata asked carefully, "There is also ROOT to contend with."

"Leave that to Kakashi and the former ANBU," Tsunade suggested. "The only logical way to bring down ANBU is to use ANBU."

"I agree," Jiraiya said, "But if all the ANBU are pitted against ROOT, who will investigate the Akatski?"

"A conundrum," Naruto agreed, "And since Suna is having internal problems due to the change of power, we cannot rely on their help. We cannot reach out to our allies in the lesser Countries since it would alert Iwa and Kumo of our weakness."

"Naruto-sama."

Heads turned toward Itachi who was in the back of the room near the door.

"Yes, Itachi?"

"Allow me to deal with the Akatsuki, Naruto-sama."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "You, Itachi? After what you did to Kisame in order to come to me?"

"I am willing to take the risk."

"If your kinsman is willing to accompany you, then I will let you go."

Itachi's muscles tensed. "With respect, Sasuke is not coming."

"Takusen-sama was not speaking of your foolish little brother, Itachi-kun," a male voice said silkily, "rather, he meant me."

Heads jerked and hands flew to weapons pouches as the ninja realized that there was someone else in the room with them. His black hair was cropped short, and his face was covered by a swirled ceramic mask painted orange with a single eye hole. The man was dressed in entirely black with a dark grey cloak thrown over his shoulders and the only sign that he was a ninja were the sandals on his feet.

"Welcome back," Naruto said blandly, "although some in this room may feel otherwise considering the part you played in Konoha's History. You would have done better to knock. Nevertheless," his voice softened and his lips quirked upward in a knowing smile, "what is it that you have brought me, Uchiha Madara?"

Uchiha Madara bowed low, "I bring you the head of your foe, Takusen-sama." He reached under his cloak and drew out a scroll which he tossed to the floor. The scroll unfurled and once the seal was completely exposed, there was a burst of chakra. "Here is the head of he who would steal from the House of Oracles."

Naruto nodded slowly, "A fine gift," he murmured, "and I thank you for it." He waved his hand, and Itachi quickly resealed the head and brought it to set on the edge of the table in reach of Naruto's left hand.

"Well then, Madara," Naruto said softly, "I will take this gift as a sign of your goodwill to the Oracle. Now you will answer me. Why did you create the Akatsuki and allow it to run out of control?"

Madara's lips twisted unseen behind his mask. "I… I wished for vengeance against Senju Hiraishima, my lord."

"The First Hokage died long ago," Naruto's voice was cold. "And still you sought vengeance against him?"

"He gave the nine tailed beasts to the other countries, my lord, I hoped to execute my vengeance against him by retrieving all nine symbols of Konoha's goodwill to the surrounding lands."

"An act that would cause nine deaths and no one any great pain, except perhaps for the Raikage and the troops under the command of the Eight Tailed Jinchuuriki, and here in Konoha, perhaps those who rely on the Oracle may feel the lack."

Madara did not respond, but he tilted his head downward. Naruto studied him before he spoke again.

"Tell me about this Red Moon Plan I've heard whispers about and why you decided to change plans."

"My lord, you know there is no known way to extract a Bijuu from it's container without killing the prison. I had no wish to bring harm to the Oracle. "

"Hmph. Cease and desist, Madara," Naruto commanded, "Seeking vengeance against a dead man is unbecoming of you. Accompany Itachi back to the Akatsuki lair. I expect that between the pair of you, there should be no Akatsuki when we begin our counter attack against Danzo and the Hyuuga Clan. Return and bring me victory, and then I will consider the terms of your punishment. For now, prove yourself worthy of remaining in the Oracle's service. Itachi."

Itachi stepped forward so he was before the Oracle. "Takusen-sama?"

"I will allow you to go. Take Madara with you, at the end, report your observations to me. Go."

The two Uchiha bowed and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Takusen-sama," Hinata murmured, "If Neji and I are gone, who shall serve you? Haruno-san does not have the suitable temperament to serve the Oracle, Konohamaru-kun is too young, Yamato-taicho is needed elsewhere, and Sai-san is ROOT and obviously cannot be trusted, and all other Anchors have their own duties."

"I can adequately care for myself for a time," Naruto said dismissively, "However, this is a problem that may emerge in the future, and should be resolved now while we have the time. In three years time, Konohamaru's generation will be genin, and our generation and our Jounin-senseis' generation will be higher ranked and therefore attending to more difficult missions. I have selected the best qualities for my First Rank. Now I will put forth names for my Second Rank and I will accept names for potential Anchors."

"Takusen-sama's first choices have the best possible qualities," Ibiki said.

Naruto chuckled, "My choices are unorthodox. I have determined Mitarashi Anko and Aburame Shino as suitable for my Second Rank, however, I leave it you to determine the worthiness of several others. Jiraiya-sama has the list, talk among yourselves on this matter. In the meantime, Hyuuga Hanabi may serve me in the interim. It may well be safer for her here in the Mountain than in the Hyuuga Compound when the finial begins. You have until tomorrow to tell me your decision, in the meantime, I will swear in the first of my Second Rank Anchors." He paused and looked at Tsunade and the Sandaime, "Unless Hokage-sama requires my services?"

Tsunade chuckled. She knew that although Naruto spoke in a tone of respect and spoke of service to the Hokage first, he was the Oracle, and like many other Oracles, expected that his will be done. It was an inevitable change, every Oracle that Tsunade had lived to see had been the same way, developing a sort of arrogance that only ever came from getting what ever they desired, and having every whim catered to.

"No," the Sandaime said, "We have no need for the Oracle at the moment. Please do not allow our presence to prevent you from doing what you must."

Naruto inclined his head, "Very well..."

One month later….

Hyuuga Hiashi fumed as he glared into his tea. The Branch House member doling out the breakfast trays flinched as she approached the Hyuuga Head with the refilled rice bowl. It was becoming clearer with every passing skirmish that the Oracle had somehow returned to Konoha, and was guiding the defenders' troops from where ever it was that he was hidden. It galled him to think that the military head of the village was answering to the boy simply because of his name. Worse, the Hyuugas were beginning to loose standing, and the Branch House members were escaping, trickling out of the Main House and the Council's control like water through a sieve. He had no doubt where it was that they were all running; one needed only to see the bustle inside of the Oracle's residence to know where the deserters had gone, and worse, they couldn't be punished because his traitorous daughters had removed the Caged Bird Seal from the heads of every Hyuuga who sought shelter in the Residence. More galling was the fact that the Kazama Ward Seals were still going strong even after so many years of neglect, and there was no way for anyone to cross the wards uninvited when the Oracle was not present.

Kumo, not forgetting their previous humiliations had the hands of the Oracles and the trouble from their attempt to steal the Byakugan, had withdrawn their hand of alliance once it became clear that Danzo was still incapacitated and ROOT was only functioning off initial orders and doing the same thing over and over while the defenders acted against rather than due to the plans laid against them.

Iwa still remembered the severe and humiliating defeats from the war not too long ago, and refused to aide them for as long as a Kazama lived. No Iwa-nin was willing to risk loosing an entire army to one man again, nor were they willing to face two of the three Sannin and the only son of the White Fang.

Suna was more likely to spit on the Hyuugas and their supporters than they were to garrote one of the defenders. It as all that damned Jinchuuriki's fault. Hiashi knew exactly where the defenders were; the laundry hanging from trees on the Hokage's Monument was a clear indicator of where they were, and the fact that none of the defenders thought the rebels were enough of a threat that they would broadcast their location was a terrible blow to the man's pride. Worse, was the knowledge that as long as the defenders were within the Hokage Monument or even in the forest growing on top of it and there was a Kazama in residence, none could enter the Monument without invitation, and the damned Suna-nin and other ninja from anywhere the Uzumaki boy had been, like Spring Country, Moon Country, or even Wave Country, were shuttling supplies to him, and somehow, they had gotten Kiri to help them as well.

To make things brief, there was a massive blockade on Konoha by Konoha-nin, and while the defenders prospered and even took missions while sheltered in the Monument, the rebels were running low on food and amenities, and inflation was making their currency worthless. In fact, even the civilians were beginning to revolt, not against the Hokage and his loyal shinobi as had been the case at the start of the war, but against the Hyuugas. The Byakugan wielders were suddenly very aware that almost all the other Bloodline Clans were gone, sheltered in the Monument with the Hokage and the ninja forces loyal to her, and the Hyuugas, being the ones to start everything, were now the ones left holding the bag.

In short, the war was not going well, and the Hyuugas were screwed.

If he only knew about the bets concerning his obstinacy going around the upper echelons of the forces inside the Monument….

TBC …

**Totally Random Babbling:** Ok, another short chapter… Sorry I can't give you more, but life has been hectic, and my muses seem adamant that I work on BLEACH fics instead of Naruto fics. In either case, I will do my best to get out new chapters as often as I possibly can. No promises though. Real life comes first after all…

_SanadaSayuri_


	38. A Message to Readers

**Original Summary:** An **IMPORTANT** A/N that I urge all to read….

**SS's Notes:** To all my readers, I extend my salutations and thanks for following this story from its beginnings almost five years ago to its most recent chapter posted during the Christmas Season last year. I am deeply touched my the responses to this story, both good and bad, because let's face it, criticism, negative and positive both builds a story, and I appreciate all of your support and patience through many of the admittedly long dry spells between chapters.

I won't make any excuses about real life intruding or even emergencies that took my attention away from this story, because let's face it, those are only excuses. It is my sincere regret to say that I have lost interest in the Naruto fandom, and all Naruto stories, including this one, are now on permanent hiatus. There will be no more updates, except perhaps to the '_Angel of Death' _series, and even those may be few and far in between.

If anyone wishes to take over any of the Naruto stories, then by all means, please feel free. All I ask is that credit is given where credit is due. Otherwise, I extend my apologies for letting you all down and abandoning this story. It has been a great five years, and it has been my pleasure to write such stories that readers will find entertaining.

With Sincere Goodwill and Regret,

_SanadaSayuri_


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